INDONESIA, June 7, 2004 -- On May 31, 2004, the Director General of Livestock Services, Ministry of Agriculture announced that the ban on imports of some ruminants products from the United States had been removed. The ban was due to the BSE outbreak in the United States in December 24, 2003.

PHILIPPINES, June 7, 2004 -- Coconut oil and copra meal exports in January 2004 increased 1.9 and 22.9 percent, respectively, from their previous year's levels. There were no copra exports during the month.

PHILIPPINES, June 7, 2004 -- The Philippines has temporarily lifted the special safeguard (SSG) duty on imports of chicken meat partly in response to rising retail prices of dressed chicken in the country. The Philippine Department of Agriculture has announced that it will allow the special importation of some 10,000 MT of chicken over and above the Minimum Access Volume of 22,968 MT for 2004. The out-of-quota chicken importation will only be subject to the regular 40 percent duty and will be exempt from the normal SSG duties applicable.

PHILIPPINES, June 7, 2004 -- Coconut oil and copra meal exports in December 2003 increased by 40.5 and 51.2 percent, respectively, from their previous year's levels. There were no copra exports during the month.

SOUTH AFRICA, REPUBLIC OF, June 7, 2004 -- South Africa's MY2004/05 corn crop is now estimated at 7.9 million tons compared to the 9.7 million tons produced in the previous season. The decrease is mainly due to a cutback in planted area. The local industry operates in a free market with unhindered trade flows. In the marketing year that ended April 30, 2004, about 464,000 tons were imported while over 1.1 million tons were exported. Wheat imports also continue unabated.