Photo/Illutration A worker grooms a Matsusaka cow at a feedlot in Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture. (Provided by the Matsusaka city government)

MATSUSAKA, Mie Prefecture—Wagyu beef producers here are preparing to unleash one of Japan’s top luxury brands on the world next fiscal year.

The industry has focused mainly on meeting domestic demand for high-quality Matsusaka beef and exported only a limited amount of the expensive meat.

That has made the brand “virtually unknown outside the country,” according to one industry expert.

But beef producers have been hit hard by falling prices stemming from the decline in foreign tourists and sluggish spending at restaurants during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

To make up for the shortfall, wagyu producers plan to significantly increase Matsusaka beef exports from fiscal 2023, which starts in April.

Touted as one of the three most coveted beef brands, along with Kobe and Omi, Matsusaka beef comes from virgin female Japanese Black cattle raised in Matsusaka city and its vicinity.

Conventionally, 7,000 to 8,000 cattle are processed for consumption each year.

A liaison council consisting of Matsusaka beef producers, local government officials, distributors and retailers held a meeting on Jan. 26 in the city.

They decided to increase the annual quota for Matsusaka beef exports from the current volume processed from 24 heads of cattle to 300 in fiscal 2023 and to 700 in and after fiscal 2024.

The quota was capped at 24 in 2017 to secure the domestic supply.

The export section of the Matsusaka Beef Council, whose members include producers and local government officials, also held a meeting on Feb. 1.

To promote overseas sales and prevent the distribution of counterfeit Matsusaka products, the section agreed to work with Kobe and Omi beef producers who have been promoting exports for at least 10 years.

“A bright future will open up if the three major wagyu beef producers join hands and lead the world,” Shinnosuke Murakami, chairman of the Hyogo Prefecture Meat Industry Cooperative Association, said.

Takao Sawai, president of the Omi Beef Export Promotion Cooperative, added, “Together, let’s fill the stomachs of wealthy people in the world.”

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Matsusaka cattle at a feedlot in Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture (Provided by the Matsusaka city government)

To maintain the brand value, Matsusaka beef has been processed exclusively at Mie Matsusaka Meat Corp. in Matsusaka and the Tokyo Central Wholesale Market’s Meat Market in Minato Ward.

Matsusaka beef for exports must be processed at a facility certified by the health ministry that meets the standards of the overseas destination.

But Mie Matsusaka Meat is not certified for exports, while Matsusaka beef processed at the Tokyo meat market is mostly exported to Thailand and Vietnam.

The rules were changed in 2015 to certify Matsusaka beef processed at other facilities with the approval of the Matsusaka Beef Council.

The council issues export certificates for Matsusaka beef after it contacts the processing facility.

The council’s export section was founded in 2020 when members were seeking advice from market players with export expertise as the COVID-19 pandemic began to hurt domestic sales.

As a starter for full-scale exports, the section will host a promotional event in Dubai on March 8 to serve “yakiniku” grilled meat, “shabu-shabu” hot pot, sushi and other dishes cooked with Matsusaka beef for government officials, media representatives and social media influencers.

The meat will be processed at Sanda Meat Corp. in Hyogo Prefecture in accordance with Islamic standards.

“The sluggish restaurant industry and the falling birthrate are key reasons for us to make export promotion efforts,” said Hiroki Ito, chief of the council’s export section. “We will make full-scale efforts from fiscal 2023, getting advice from industry colleagues.”

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