Brazil-$1.3 Billion dollar loan granted.

UNITED KINGDOM-CATTLE Markets-Oswestry, Wed, Mar 4

Remarks A shortage of fat cattle numbers today and - an overall lack of quality - produced a slightly lower trade than previous weeks - less money but largely due to quality and not trade. Fewer calves selling to another very fast trade.

Fat cattle 92 entries, to £1,226, av 151.5.

Young bulls 22 entries, av 150.5; Mediums (8) to 169, av 149.5 (£768); Heavys (14) to 182, av 151 (£959).

Fat steers 29 entries, av 150; Mediums (7) to 149, av 143 (£756); Heavys (22) to 180, av 152 (£995).

Fat heifers 41 entries, av 153.5; Mediums (7) to 168, av 155 (£715); Heavys (34) to 174, av 153 (£851).

Fat hoggets 4,004 entries, av 172; Superlights to 159, av 153.5; Lights to 189, av 163; Standards to 196, av 172; Mediums to 192, av 174; Heavys to 169, av 161.5; Others to 160, av 150.

Fat ewes 494 entries. Ewes to £89, av £35.50; Rams to £118, av £48.

Calves 45 entries. Fries bulls to £88; Char bulls to £310, hfrs to £233; Lim bulls to £294, hfrs to £345; BB bulls to £302, hfrs to £205; Hfd bulls to £186, hfrs to £198.

Weanlings 7m Lim hfrs to £345.

Cull cows 47 entries, av 97.09.

O48m cows Fries to 123, av 95.87; Char to 96; Lim to 105, av 97.16; BB to 119.

U48 cows Lim to 142; Fries to 127; Bulls to 105.

Top prices

Young bulls - IM Willams, Ty Mawr;

Fat steers - JS Jones & Son, Aston Hall Farm;

Fat heifers - J Roberts, Coedyfoel Uchaf;

Calves - Messrs Evans & Partners, Dolobran Hall.

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This ear tag’s shape is designed particularly for use with sheep, but it is suitable for the tracking of any medium-sized livestock. With it, the tagged animal can be monitored and information regarding its feeding, location, vaccination, health history, etc. can be maintained.

GAO’s UHF RFID passive sheep tag shows robust performance over the entire UHF bandwidth and operates reliably in dense reader environments while maintaining optimum read range. The tag also offers a unique custom command set, which ensures easy, secure communication between the transponder and RFID readers. And, importantly, this RFID tag has an IP67 rating which guarantees its suitability for use in harsh environments making it an ideal choice for tracking sheep.

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BRAZIL-JUST A STORM IN A TEA CUP.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he has authorized Brazil’s leader to raise the subject of Venezuela in talks with President Barack Obama this month. Despite the change of government, Washington/Caracas relations remain strained.

Pte. Chavez and his counterpart Lula da Silva

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However Brazilian president Lula da Silva has maintained friendly relations with US leaders (both Bush and Obama) and with populist Chavez.

Lula da Silva is scheduled to meet President Obama on March 17 in Washington and Chavez said that the Brazilian leader "has been calling me, worried by the US statements that have continued coming out, attacks against Venezuela". Chavez made the comments on state television Wednesday night.

Chavez has condemned recent US State Department reports alleging human rights problems in Venezuela and a lack of cooperation in counter-drug efforts. He has also advanced that Washington will have to show more respect if relations are to improve.

According to Chavez to the question from the Brazilian president "if I agree for him to talk about the subject of Venezuela", the Venezuelan leader replied: "talk about it".

Chavez clashed with former US President George W. Bush and expelled the US ambassador last September. President Bush officials often expressed concern about the health of democracy under Chavez, but last month he comfortably won a vote to eliminate term limits.

The Venezuelan president said he has written to his Brazilian counterpart saying the US should stop "attacking countries like Venezuela using lies and cynicism".

BRAZIL-A BILLION DOLLAR LOAN.

World Bank 1.3 bn. loan to Brazil for green management

The World Bank approved a 1.3 billion US dollars loan to Brazil for the First Programmatic Development Policy Loan for Sustainable Environmental Management, supporting Brazil’s ongoing efforts to improve its environmental management system.

The policy also is geared to integrate sustainability in the development agenda of key sectors such as forest management, water and renewable energy. The initiative will also act as an umbrella for Brazil’s climate change agenda across sectors.

"The Brazilian government has been working strongly towards the development and implementation of public policies that address sustainable development so that economic growth occurs without loss to our rich biodiversity," said Guido Mantega, Minister of Finance.

"This requires a commitment from all levels of government, whether federal, state or municipal, paying special attention to social programs, many of which include programs for sustainable growth," he added. "In this context, the set of institutional reforms and policies laid down in the Multiyear Plan (PPA) and the Growth Acceleration Plan (PAC) is essential to ensure that Brazil achieve economic growth, preserve the environment and become a socially just nation."

In few countries is the ecosystem as crucial to development and people’s welfare as in Brazil. The country has one-third of the world’s tropical rain forests, the largest reservoir of fresh water (20%), one of the longest coastlines (more than 8,500 km), and savanna with the greatest biodiversity in the world. A significant part of Brazil’s economy relies on the use of natural resources for production inputs. Due to the importance of its natural resource base, Brazil faces major challenges to strengthen the sustainable use of its natural resources.

Key environmental issues in Brazil to be addressed by the program include: deforestation from unsustainable use of natural resources in the Amazon rainforest; conservation of the remaining Atlantic Forest, water quality and availability; and increased energy demand, straining Brazil’s clean energy matrix.

"The social and economic cost of environmental destruction is high. Smooth oordination of policies