Japan Lifts Beef, Pork Shipment Ban in Miyazaki as Foot-and-Mouth Fades
June 29 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg's Mike Firn reports on the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Japan and its potential impact on the nation's cattle import from the U.S. Foot-and-mouth is one of the most contagious livestock diseases and can have high mortality rates in young animals, according to the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health. The disease has spread in Asia in recent months, spurring Japan to cull more than 158,000 animals. (Source: Bloomberg)
Japan lifted a ban on beef and pork shipments from all farms in southern Miyazaki prefecture, normalizing domestic trade three months after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth led to the largest cull in the nation’s history.
Livestock shipments from the second-largest hog-farming prefecture can resume, the Miyazaki government said today in a statement. No cases of the disease have been found in the past three weeks after about 288,370 animals were culled to contain it since April 20, when the first case was reported, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The resumption will boost meat supply in Japan, potentially curbing demand for imported pork and beef, as Miyazaki is also the third-largest farming region for beef cattle. Foot-and-mouth is one of the most contagious livestock diseases and can have high mortality rates in young animals, according to the Paris- based World Organization for Animal Health, or OIE.
“I feel relieved as the situation in Miyazaki has returned to normal,” Agriculture Minister Masahiko Yamada told reporters in Tokyo today. “We will offer various support for the prefecture to rebuild livestock farming.”
Worst Loss
Japan culled a total of 220,034 pigs and 68,314 cattle and cows to prevent the disease from spreading, said Yusuke Hirata at the ministry’s animal health division yesterday. It is the worst loss the nation’s livestock industry has ever sustained, the ministry said in a statement today.
The figures represent 2.2 percent of Japan’s total swine herd and 1.5 percent of overall cattle and cows. The country’s first outbreak of the disease since 2000 was reported at a cattle farm in Tsuno town in eastern Miyazaki.
Japan imposed a ban on the movement of livestock that live within a radius of 10 kilometers from the affected farms. The government also prohibited shipments of livestock living in a radius of 10 to 20 kilometers of the disease-hit farms for trade outside the area.
It may take another month before farmers who lost their livestock can start restoring their herds, as the virus may still exist in the area, Hirata said.
The Miyazaki government also lifted its restrictions on civil activities, such as holding sports and cultural events, as the risk of spreading foot-and-mouth disease has waned, Governor Hideo Higashikokubaru said in today’s statement.
Disease-Free
Japan will seek recognition by the OIE as a country free from the disease to resume meat exports, said Hirata at the agriculture ministry. This won’t happen before Oct. 6, as the OIE requires that there be no reports of disease for at least three months, he said. The last case of the disease was discovered on July 4, he said.
The country suspended beef and pork exports following the discovery of the first case. Shipments of wagyu meat, known for its flavor and tenderness and often priced at a premium to other cuts, were also halted. The nation exported 676 metric tons of beef and 2,113 tons of pork in the year ended March 31.
Aeon Co., Japan’s largest supermarket operator, will offer a three-day promotion for Miyazaki beef, starting July 30, the company said in a faxed statement today. Aeon will sell about 6 tons of beef at its 207 Jusco and other stores in Japan.
Hong Kong and Macau have allowed meat exports from Japan to resume, except from Miyazaki, Hirata said. Vietnam and the U.S., the biggest and third-largest importers of Japanese beef, have maintained their ban, he said.
Meat Market
The disease had a limited impact on Japan’s meat markets, as the affected animals represented a small share of the nation’s total herd, said Yuichi Imasaki at the ministry’s meat and egg division.
Japan slaughtered 1.31 million hogs in May to produce 100,692 tons of pork, the latest data from the agriculture ministry showed. The number dropped 0.6 percent from a year earlier, while the volume decreased 0.8 percent.
The number of cattle and cows Japan slaughtered in May fell 0.3 percent to 91,689, according to ministry data. Beef production increased 0.9 percent to 39,366 tons.
The country imported 475,000 tons of beef in the year ended March 31, climbing 1.2 percent from a year earlier, according to the ministry. Australia was the biggest supplier with 355,488 tons, while the U.S. was the second largest with 73,823 tons.
Japan imported 692,000 tons of pork last fiscal year, declining 15 percent from a year earlier. The U.S. represented 40 percent of supply, while Canada had 25 percent.
To contact the reporter on this story: Aya Takada in Tokyo at atakada2@bloomberg.net
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