FMD threatens Japan's "Wagyu" beef

Japan's prized Miyazaki premium beef is under threat from the country's first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in a decade.

The outbreak, which started last month, has spread to more than 100 farms and forced the cull of 49 seed bulls, leaving just six to breed the species of cattle that produces the tender beef from Miyazaki prefecture on Kyushu island.

The beef is sought after worldwide for its intense marbling with mostly unsaturated fat, and the variety from Miyazaki typically wholesales for around US$160 to US$320 per kilogramme in Japan.

The FMD outbreak, Japan's first since 2000, was first detected on April 20 and has spread to 111 farms in Miyazaki in the south, involving more than 85,000 cattle and pigs, a prefectural farm official said.

Authorities expect to lose about JPY16 billion (US$195.72 million) from the slaughter of livestock.

Japan has already suspended exports of meat products including Wagyu beef. Japan exports some 35 tonnes of the premium beef from Miyazaki every year.

The Japanese government has stepped up efforts to contain the outbreak, putting together Monday an emergency task force in the prefecture after promising assistance to affected farmers.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation last month urged countries to step up vigilance against FMD following the cases in Japan and an outbreak in South Korea that has lasted since early April.