THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
October 11, 2022 at 15:17 JST
Supporters from Kagoshima Prefecture cheer on the cattle that won the prime minister's award at a national wagyu beef competition held in Kirishima in the prefecture on Oct. 10. (Shoma Fujiwaki)
KIRISHIMA, Kagoshima Prefecture--Prime Minister Fumio Kishida assured livestock farmers that his government will soon announce support measures to help them boost exports and deal with soaring feed prices.
Kishida met with wagyu beef producers just before attending a national wagyu beef competition on Oct. 10, dubbed the “Wagyu Olympics,” and asked them how surging cattle feed costs is affecting the production of wagyu beef.
He told them he will include new support for livestock farmers in the economic support package his government will finalize and make public by the end of this month.
“We would like to work hard on measures such as turning to domestic production in securing fertilizer or fodder (for which Japan has relied on imports), and expanding the export volume of agricultural, forestry and fishery products, by taking advantage of the weaker yen,” Kishida told reporters after the competition.
He said the economic measures will include support for livestock farmers toward expanding the provision and use of domestically produced fodder, compost, or manure.
The economic package will also include assistance for livestock farmers to build hygiene-management facilities for exporting beef, Kishida said.
A total of 438 wagyu cattle from 41 prefectures entered the competition, which is only held once every five years. This year is its 12th running.
On Oct. 10, the final day of the five-day event, judges gave the prime minister's award, the most prestigious award of the competition, to Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures.
Kagoshima Prefecture won the top award in the breeding cattle division, which judges the bodies of cows.
Miyazaki Prefecture was given the same award in the beef division, in which judges rate the quality of dressed cattle carcasses.
(This article was written by Shino Matsuyama and Hayato Kaji.)
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