Japan banned American beef imports over mad cow fears more than three years ago, but has eased that restriction to allow imported meat from young cattle as long as certain bones and the spinal cord have been removed and the meat has been processed at selected plants. Subscriber Services/To Subscribe. Japan banned American beef imports over mad cow fears more than three years ago, but has eased that restriction to allow imported meat from young cattle as long as certain bones and the spinal...

case of mad cow disease was discovered in a cow in Washington State, the nationwide survey of 1,000 adults showed that only one in three Americans thought the mad cow situation was a "major problem" or "crisis. In the same survey, only one in six people expressed worry that they or their families might become victims of the disease caused by mad cow infected animals. A new Gallup survey concluded that most Americans are not concerned about the recent mad cow scare. The majority of people...

Department of Agriculture provides disaster relief and loans to affected farms and ranches. Agencies step up to help fire victims . Business . PE.com . Southern California News . News for Inland Southern California. About 60 percent of the individuals who register with FEMA will be referred to the SBA, either because they represent a business or there's a chance based on the person's income that he or she would be eligible for one of the agency's low-interest loans. Eligible businesses...

The craving is so strong that Cheryl Urban of Wisconsin Rapids, a cranberry grower who also processes the crops of six other growers, said 30 percent of her business' sales will go to foreign markets this year. Ocean Spray Cranberries has seen its foreign business grow yearly by double-digit percentages for more than a decade. That increased to 27 percent of the market last year, with more than 1.67 million barrels shipped overseas. Daily Herald . Cranberry growers get into the export...

The budget defines the city's Economic Development Program goals: 1) reduce the number of Lompoc residents commuting to work outside of the Lompoc Valley; 2) increase property tax, sales tax, use tax, and transient-occupancy tax revenues; 3) increase small-business opportunities in Lompoc through the Self Employment Training and Micro-Enterprise Loan Program; To assure a sustainable economy in the Lompoc Valley, the city will continue to spawn new entrepreneurs, grow existing businesses,...