July 27, 2010

 

Japan resumes beef, pork shipments as FMD wanes

Japan lifted a ban on beef and pork shipments from all farms in southern Miyazaki prefecture, normalising domestic trade three months after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth (FMD) 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 (Jul 27). 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.

 

"I feel relieved as the situation in Miyazaki has returned to normal," said Agriculture Minister Masahiko Yamada. "We will offer various support for the prefecture to rebuild livestock farming."

 

Japan culled a total of 220,034 pigs and 68,314 cattle and cows to prevent the disease from spreading, the worst loss the nation's livestock industry has ever sustained, the ministry said. The figures represent 2.2% of Japan's total swine herd and 1.5% of overall cattle and cows.

 

The country imposed a ban on the movement of livestock that live within a radius of 10 kilometres 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.

 

Japan will seek recognition by the OIE as a country free from the disease to resume meat exports, said 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. The last case of the disease was discovered on July 4.

 

The country suspended beef and pork exports following the discovery of the first case. Shipments of wagyu meat, known for its flavour and tenderness and often priced at a premium to other cuts, were also halted. The nation exported 676 tonnes of beef and 2,113 tonnes of pork in the year ended March 31.

 

Hong Kong and Macau have allowed meat exports from Japan to resume, except from Miyazaki. Vietnam and the US, the biggest and third-largest importers of Japanese beef, have maintained their ban.

 

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 tonnes of pork. The number dropped 0.6% from a year earlier, while the volume decreased 0.8%, the latest data from the agriculture ministry showed.

 

The number of cattle and cows Japan slaughtered in May fell 0.3% to 91,689, according to ministry data. Beef production increased 0.9% to 39,366 tonnes.