JAPAN’S BEEF PURCHASES

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28543, 24 March 1958, Page 10

JAPAN’S BEEF PURCHASES

Cuts In Imports Suggested (N~Z. Press Association—Copyright) TOKYO, March 22. The Japanese are eating more beef but the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is preparing to impose stiff restrictions on Australian and New Zealand imports. A ministry spokesman today said Japan had consumed 153,330 tons of beef during 1957. Of this. 23,000 tons were imported, compared with the 2000 tons imported during 1956.

The spokesman said increased beef consumption had resulted in increased prices, larger profits and higher imports. Japanese farmers were encouraged to raise food during the war and consistently high meat prices stimulated domestic stock raising. The spokesman added, however, that large meat imports last autumn had resulted in a drop in domestic prices which were further hit by the fact that imported beef was about 10 per cent, cheaper.

Beef cattle priced at 60,000 yen (about £6O) in the autumn of 1957 fell by about 16 per eent. during the first month of this year. \

The spokesman said the ministry was planning to place Australian and New Zealand beef imports on a foreign exchange allocation system to restrict imports. This would stabilise domestic beef prices in Japan and relieve present price pressures on Japanese cattle farmers.

A spokesman for the Ministry of International Trade and Industry said, however, that his ministry was opposed to any change of the present automatic approval system applied to Australian and New Zealand meat imports. Restrictions on beef imports from the two countries would lead to higher consumer prices, and would also seriously affect Japan’s relations with Australia and New Zealand.