April 18, 2006

 

Japan's government decides between beef and rice

 

 

While the average Japanese probably has no trouble deciding whether to have rice or beef, its government is stuck between a choice of either lifting a ban on US beef or having to increase its import quota for rice later.  

 

Increasingly, it is tilting towards lifting the beef ban.

 

But doing so would invite the fury of the supporters of the beef ban who accuse the government of putting diplomatic relations ahead of consumer safety.

 

At public meetings across the country, agricultural officials have gotten tirades from people who said resuming imports puts consumers at risk.

 

On the other hand, Japan is trying its best not to antagonise the US, which has a commanding position at the World Trade Organization's Doha round of negotiations. Japan understood the threat that the US may manoeuvre to make Japan increase its rice imports in retaliation if it refuses to budge on the beef issue.

 

Japan needs to avoid a situation where it is forced to allow huge quantities of foreign rice to pour into the country because of its refusal to lift the ban, an agriculture official said.

 

Revenue from beef tariffs, which were used to finance livestock farmers and the meat industry, have also been cut because of the ban, another reason why officials favour resuming imports.

 

Representatives of both governments will meet in May to hammer out a basic agreement on what needs to be done to lift the ban. The agriculture ministry would also hold another round of public meetings to allay consumers' concerns and explain improvements US authorities have made to ensure safety.

 

Recently, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi threw his support behind efforts to lift the ban and urged agricultural officials from both countries to resolve their differences ahead of his scheduled visit to the US in June.

 

In a statement to the press, he summed up the point of contention succinctly; Americans are simply unhappy that Japanese are refusing to eat beef that is so safe.

 

Since Americans eat beef daily and in larger quantities than the Japanese, it would have to be safe, he said.

 

In fact, as the Prime Minister discreetly left out, US beef may be safer than Japanese beef itself.

 

Japan has confirmed 24 cases of mad cow since 2001 - including three cases this year, according to the Agricultural Ministry. There have been three confirmed cases of the disease in the United States.

 

Even Canada, whom Japan imports beef from, albeit at much lower levels than before, has confirmed a case of mad cow disease last week. Japanese officials have said the case would not influence imports.