May 5, 2010

FMD spreads beyond cattle in Japan

Japan confirmed an 11th case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) as of April 29; while the disease has been found mostly in beef and dairy cattle, two of the 11 FMD cases were reported from pig and buffalo farms.

The outbreak has been confined to the Miyazaki prefecture so far with Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) working closely with the prefectural government since the establishment of FMD control response headquarters in the region.

All animals from the infected properties have been, or are in a process of being, slaughtered for the epidemic prevention purpose. Over 1,000 cattle have reportedly been slaughtered and buried so far.

Miyazaki is known for high-quality Wagyu production, and the third largest prefecture in beef cattle herd numbers in Japan. There has been no report so far that suggests a decline in beef consumption in Japan after the incidents, and the trade is closely monitoring consumer reactions.

Golden Week (series of public holidays until May 5) has started in Japan, resulting in limited activities for both the Australian export and Japanese wholesale market this week.

Meanwhile, buyers remained interested in sourcing more trimming products from Australia.

Also, South Korea has banned imports of all Japanese meat and by-products from cloven-hoofed animals after Japan confirmed an outbreak of FMD.