The Japanese government wants to double the wagyu output to fulfill the rising demand from overseas. (Image via The Japan Times)

Japan to double wagyu beef output amid rising overseas demand

Who doesn’t know the scrumptious wagyu beef? Its tenderness and “marbleous” fat attract those who gaze upon it. The beef is now a global craze. Especially, recently, Japan’s National Diet, or the Diet, had passed the trade deal signed between Japan and the United States (U.S), effective on 1 January 2020.

Not only the U.S but Japan also had landed deals with other countries in other countries in the Pacific and the European Union (EU). Hence the demand is growing rapidly.

Due to the rising demand, on Tuesday, the Japanese government stated it aims to double wagyu beef output to 300,000 tons by 2035. Last year, the output was only around 149,000 tons.

It is also part of the Japanese government program to encourage its domestic farmers and boost agricultural exports. To realize the objective, the Japanese government will support them by providing incentives and innovative techs.

Moreover, complying with the strict standard of the U.S and Europe, the Japanese government also vowed to upgrade the meat processing facilities throughout the nation. The government program will also prepare these meat facilities to stand strong in the face of natural disasters, a problem regularly faced by the land.

Following the trade deal, Japan will see more beef export to the U.S thanks to the low-tariff quota on these Japanese beef. In 2018, Japan saw its agricultural export reach ¥906.8 billion, highest in six consecutive years. Hong Kong, China, and the U.S are the most prominent importers of Japanese beef.

On the other hand, the Japanese government promised to ensure a smooth vaccination of pigs to prevent further outbreak of swine fever. Since 2018, domestic farmers in a dozen prefectures had to slaughter their pigs due to the epidemic.

The funding for these actions will be done in the supplementary budget for fiscal 2019, which ends in March 2020, and the initial budget for fiscal 2020.

Source: https://bit.ly/2P9kuad