MAFF to Establish New JAS Standard for Beef, Also Applicable to Imports

On September 16, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) revealed that, by December 1, it plans to draw up a new JAS (Japanese Standard of Agricultural and Forestry Products) standard with a view to assuring the traceability of the production history of beef, whether domestically produced or imported. The establishment of the new standard is timed to coincide with the date of enforcement of the new Beef Traceability Law (which requires the establishment of systems allowing the production and distribution history of a product to be traced). In addition to date of birth, date slaughtered and other information whose disclosure is required under the Beef Traceability Law, approval under the new JAS standard will be conditional on the disclosure of information relating to feeds and pharmaceuticals.

Also on September 16, the Research Committee for the Japanese Standard of Agricultural and Forestry Products, which is responsible for discussing the establishment and modification of JAS standards, held a general meeting, which approved the establishment of a new "JAS standard on production information disclosed beef". On receiving notification of the results of the meeting, MAFF announced that it plans to publish details of the new standard by November 1.

The proposal is that the new JAS standard should require disclosure of a total of ten items of information, to include information on feeds and pharmaceuticals given to the animal as well as the eight items whose disclosure is compulsory under the Beef Traceability Law (date of birth, sex, name and address of owner, etc.). Beef that satisfies these disclosure requirements will be certified as joho kohyo gyuniku ["production information disclosed beef"].

For imported beef (which is not covered by the provisions of the Beef Traceability Law) to be approved under the new JAS standard, disclosure of the same ten items as for domestically produced beef will be required. However, because certification under the JAS system is purely voluntary, it is likely that only importers who wish to give their product added value by disclosing its production history will make use of the new JAS standard.

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Yoshiyuki Kamei Stays on as Agriculture Minister After Cabinet Reshuffle

On September 22, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi reshuffled his Cabinet. Mr. Yoshiyuki Kamei, who has been pursuing the reform of rice policy and participating in the WTO agricultural negotiations and the negotiation of a free trade agreement with Mexico, was retained as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Mr. Shoichi Nakagawa, formerly Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, was appointed Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. Mr. Sadakazu Tanigaki, formerly Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission and Minister of State for Food Safety, was appointed Minister of Finance. Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi was retained as Minister of Foreign Affairs.  Joining the Cabinet for the first time, Mr. Kiichi Inoue of the New Conservative Party, a former official of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, was appointed Minister of State for Disaster Management with Responsibility for National Emergency Legislation, Ms. Kiyoko Ono was appointed Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Measures for Decreasing Birthrate and Minister of State for Food Safety, Ms. Yuriko Koike was appointed Minister of Environment and Mr. Kazuyoshi Kaneko was appointed Minister of State for Regulatory Reform, Minister of State for the Industrial Revitalization Corporation of Japan and Minister of State with Responsibility for Administrative Reform, Special Zones for Structural Reform and Regional Revitalization.

On September 24, following on from the Cabinet reshuffle, two new Senior Vice-Ministers of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries were appointed — Mr. Hirohisa Kurihara of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP; elected from the 4^th electoral district of Niigata Prefecture and serving his third term as a member of the House of Representatives), and Mr. Ichiro Ichikawa of the Komeito (elected from the Miyagi electoral district and serving his second term as a member of the House of Councilors).

On September 25, two new Parliamentary Secretaries for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries were appointed — Mr. Taro Kimura of the LDP (elected from the 4^th electoral district of Aomori Prefecture and serving his second term as a member of the House of Representatives) and Mr. Junichi Fukumoto of the Komeito (elected through the proportional representation system and serving his second term as a member of the House of Councilors).

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Minister Reasserts Position on Mexico FTA and Direct Payments to Support Farming Businesses

On September 22, at press conferences following their appointment in the latest Cabinet reshuffle, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Yoshiyuki Kamei and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Shoichi Nakagawa said they would maintain their present stance in the negotiations on the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with Mexico and refuse to accept Mexico's demands that Japan abolish tariffs on pork.

Mr. Kamei said, "Pork is also an exception (to the abolition of tariffs) under the FTA between the EU and Mexico." Mr. Nakagawa stressed his determination, as a member of the Cabinet, to continue to resist pressure for the abolition of tariffs at the WTO agriculture talks, telling reporters, "Every country has products that are important to its own farming sector. I believe the Prime Minister will agree with me."

In what was his first press conference at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) after the Cabinet reshuffle, Mr. Kamei stressed that he would maintain his present stance on the WTO agriculture negotiations and would do everything in his power to ensure that Japan's position was reflected [in the agreement]. With regard to the negotiations on the proposed FTA with Mexico, Mr. Kamei reasserted that he did not intend to give in to Mexico's demands that Japan abolish tariffs on pork, telling reporters, "Japan has made bold proposals on the abolition of tariffs. We hope to see greater flexibility from the Mexican side."

With regard to domestic agricultural policy, Mr. Kamei said he would be taking a positive stance on agricultural reform, telling reporters, "We will address the task of reviewing the Basic Plan for Food Agriculture and Rural Areas with a sense of urgency" and citing a need for continued efforts to increase Japan's food self-sufficiency and action to revitalize farming communities. With regard to food self-sufficiency in particular, Mr. Kamei said, "We will be undertaking a general examination and review of policies. I hope to promote the discussion of issues relating to food-self-sufficiency, including a thorough examination of the factors involved, including both consumption and production aspects. He also expressed a strong determination to bring about the introduction of direct payments to support farming businesses, telling reporters, "We will also be looking at the possibility of switching from a system of individual product sector-based business stabilization measures to one of cross-product sector direct payments to support the business of core farmers."

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Rice Crop Index Set to Fall to 92; Harvest "Very Poor" in Tohoku Region

On September 25, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) released an outline assessment of crop quantity and growth status as of September 15, for rice grown in 2003. Due to the exceptionally low temperatures recorded in mid- and late July, the rice crop failed to ripen in many parts of Hokkaido and the Tohoku region, and the national average crop index is expected to fall to 92 ("poor"). The full figures will be published on September 26.

Crop quantity is expected to be approximately 8.49 million tons, some 640,000 tons short of annual demand. However, as government rice stocks are currently around 1.2 million tons, MAFF maintains there is no risk of a rice shortage of the kind Japan experienced in 1993.

Crop quantity is likely to be "normal" only in Okinawa Prefecture, and is now expected be "below average" in 33 prefectures, "poor" in nine prefectures, and "very poor" in four prefectures.

In Hokkaido, where the low temperatures and lack of sunshine were particularly severe, crop quantity is expected to be "very poor" with a crop index as low as 81. In the Tohoku region, crop quantity is likely to be "very poor" in Aomori (crop index: 71), Iwate (77) and Miyagi (78) Prefectures. Crop quantity is likely to be "poor" in Fukushima (92) and Yamagata (94) Prefectures. In Akita Prefecture, it is likely to be "below average" with an index of 96. For the Tohoku region as a whole, crop quantity is expected to be "very poor", with an average crop index of 86.

In other regions, including Hokuriku and Kyushu, the shortage of sunshine from mid-June onwards is expected to result in "poor" or "below average" crops.

Including the "very poor" harvest of 1993, the national average crop index has fallen below 94 only seven times since the end of the Second World War. Depending on the extent of the damage caused by rice blight and other diseases and insect pests, the final crop quantity may be lower still.

Keyword: Rice crop index

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MAFF Report: Infection Routes are Closed and No Further Cases of BSE Will Arise

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) BSE Epidemiological Study Team, set up to investigate the causes of the outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) in Japan, published its final report on September 30. The report points to a strong possibility that the outbreak was due to secondary infection caused by meat-and-bone meal made from cattle imported from the United Kingdom in the 1980s, and by inadequately heat-treated meat-and-bone meal imported from Italy.

At a press conference held the same day, the Study Team's leader Kazuya Yamauchi (Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo) said that the countermeasures implemented to date, which include prohibiting the feeding of meat-and-bone meal to cattle, had closed off the sources and routes of infection virtually completely, and that there would be no further cases of BSE. The investigation of causes of infection in respect of the seven cases of BSE discovered in Japan to date is now over, but MAFF will continue to investigate causes of infection if other cases are discovered.

The Study Team has investigated sources and routes of infection for the seven cases of BSE discovered in Japan to date. Its report takes the view that the sources of infection in these cases may have been meat-and-bone meal made from 14 head of cattle imported from the United Kingdom between 1982 and 1987, and meat-and-bone meal made from cattle that became infected by eating meat-and-bone meal imported from Italy prior to 1990. Milk substitute made with animal fat imported from the Netherlands has effectively been excluded from the possible sources of infection.

The report estimates the current numbers of BSE infected cattle in Japan as being 10-12 in East Japan and West Japan, and 8-13 in the Kyushu region. However, it suggests that approximately 60% of these are animals under the age of 30 months, in which the level of BSE pathogens does not build up, so that the number of cases that will actually be detected by testing is likely to be 7-9 in the Kanto region, 5-7 in the Kyushu region and 3-4 in Hokkaido. The possible routes of infection from these cattle have been virtually completely shut off, and MAFF believes that "there is no risk of further infection, and BSE will not reach the consumer."

Causes (Assumed) of BSE Outbreak in Japan and Measures to Prevent Spreading

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First Meeting of Study Group in Preparation for Radical Review of JAS System

On October 1, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) convened the first meeting of a Study Group on the Future of the JAS System, made up of academic and business experts, in preparation for a radical review of the JAS (Japanese Standard of Agricultural and Forestry Products) system. Over the next 12 months, the Study Group will consider what new JAS standards and approval systems may be required and study ways of simplifying existing systems, and will present its report in the autumn of 2004. Should modifications to the JAS Law be required, MAFF will present a revised version of the Law to next year's ordinary session of the Diet.

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MAFF Publishes New Long-Term Plan for Farmland Improvement Setting Numerical Targets

On October 1, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) published the draft of a new Long-Term Plan for Farmland Improvement, which sets out the approach to be taken to the expansion and improvement of agricultural/farming community infrastructure. The plan covers a five-year period, starting this fiscal year, and sets numeric targets for results and project scope (see table).

The draft Plan was created from the standpoint of providing services to consumers and calls for (i) the creation of agricultural and rural community infrastructure that protects the "life" of the people of Japan/consumers, (ii) the building of a society geared to the "circulation" of resources such as agricultural water supplies, (iii) "symbiosis" between people and nature, and between urban and rural communities.

To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of projects, the draft Plan calls for effective use of existing facilities and coordination with other projects, participation by local inhabitants from the planning stage onwards, and the completion of projects within the allotted time frame and reduction of project costs.

Specific numerical targets include the reshaping of farmland plots and the creation of underground drainage systems for over 69,000 hectares of land with a view to increasing the farmland utilization ratio to at least 105%. To increase the ratio of concentration of farmland use in the hands of core farmers by 20 percentage points, the draft Plan calls for the improvement of 130,000 hectares of agricultural land.

Target Results and Scope of Draft Long-Term Plan for Farmland Improvement

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FSC Special Committee to Draw Up Standards for Safety Evaluation of GM Foods

On October 3, a Special Committee on GM Foods was established within the Cabinet Office's Food Safety Commission. The Special Committee is to draw up its own standards for evaluating the safety of GM (genetically modified) foods by mid-November.

To date, standards for evaluating the safety of GM foods have been set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and the Special Committee's work will involve reviewing these standards. Once the review process is complete, the Food Safety Commission will seek the opinion of the Japanese public in connection with the drawing up of the actual standards.

The Special Committee will also evaluate the safety of maize developed by crossing two GM varieties. The Special Committee on GM Foods has 15 members and is chaired by Mr. Akio Hayakawa, Assistant Director of the National Institute of Health Science.

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First Case of BSE Under Age of 24 Months; Ministries Maintain Beef is Safe

On October 6, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) convened a meeting of a specialist committee on BSE, which concluded that a 23-month old Holstein steer raised in Fukushima Prefecture had tested positive for BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy). This is the eighth case of BSE infection discovered in Japan. The seven infected animals discovered to date were all over 5 years old, but the steer in this case was born on October 25, 2001. The steer was born after September 2001, when the feeding of meat-and-bone meal to cattle and its manufacture and use as a feed or fertilizer was prohibited, after the first cases of BSE in Japan were discovered.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) plans to convene a meeting of a technical study group made up of experts in the field, in the near future, which will consider whether or not to assign the infected animal "infected" status. Also on October 6, MAFF launched an investigation of feeds and other cattle kept in the same location.

The fact that the steer in question, the eighth case of BSE to be discovered in Japan, was born after October 25, 2001 when MAFF introduced measures to prevent the contamination of formula feeds by meat-and-bone meal and the fact that its abnormal prions differ from those found in the other seven animals suggest that the route of infection differs from that assumed by MAFF.

All cattle whose meat is intended for human consumption are subject to testing for BSE at the slaughterhouse. Only meat that has tested negative can be shipped. For this reason, the MHLW maintains that infected meat cannot find its way onto the market and that there is no problem with the safety of beef.

MAFF says the discovery of this eighth infected animal is a sign that the system of testing all slaughtered cattle is working, and has urged consumers to stay calm, explaining that beef is shipped only after the removal of those parts of the carcass specified as presenting a risk of BSE infection and that none of these parts are shipped for food use.

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Japan's Food Self-Sufficiency Ratio Remains at 40% in 2002

On October 9, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) published the FY 2002 edition of its Food Balance Sheet. The figures reveal that, on a calorie basis, Japan's overall food self-sufficiency ratio remained at 40% for a fifth year, and remains unlikely that the government's target ratio of 45% will be achieved by FY 2010.

On the consumption side, per capita annual consumption of beef, which fell after the outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), shows signs of recovery, having risen by 0.1 kg year-on-year to 6.4 kg. Consumption of pork continued to rise, reaching 11.4 kg.

Per capita annual consumption of rice for table use, in which Japan is 100% self-sufficient, continued to fall, declining by 0.9 kg year-on-year to 62.7 kg. Among vegetables, consumption of oriental vegetables such as daikon [giant white radish] and hakusai [Chinese leaf] is falling as a result of the growing tendency to eat a western-style diet.

On the production side, production of wheat rose by 130,000 tons, year-on-year to 830,000 tons.

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Minister Says Japan Should Work More Closely With Developing Countries in WTO Negotiations

On September 17, at his first press conference after attending the WTO 5^th Ministerial Conference at Cancún in Mexico, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Yoshiyuki Kamei said he would continue to press for the proposal of setting an upper limit on tariffs to be abandoned. He added that Japan intended to accelerate the process of structural reform at home, telling reporters that he would pursue the reform of agricultural administration at an undiminished pace and that he felt a sense of urgency was required.

The third draft of the ministerial declaration included an exception (in parentheses) to the setting of an upper limit on tariffs. Mr. Kamei expressed a degree of satisfaction, saying it was "probably the next best" outcome.

On the matter of Japan's future approach to the agriculture negotiations, Mr. Kamei emphasized the need to work more closely with the developing countries. He observed that three of the ten countries and regions that had made the joint proposal that the idea of setting of an upper limit on tariffs be abandoned were developing countries, and said Japan should strive to win more friends at the WTO, especially among the developing countries.

Regarding the impact of the collapse of the ministerial conference on FTAs (free trade agreements), Mr. Kamei said he believed a growing number of countries would become interested in FTAs, but made it clear that Japan still took the position that the WTO agreement should be the first priority, telling reporters, "Our position on FTAs is unchanged".

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Japan and Korea a to Announce Start of FTA Negotiations at APEC Conference

Officials of the Japanese and Korean authorities concerned revealed, on September 22, that the governments of Japan and the Republic of Korea have initiated talks preparatory to a joint declaration of the start of negotiation of a free trade agreement (FTA), to be made by the two countries' leaders at the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Leaders Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, November 21-22.

Korean government sources said the "Korea-Japan FTA Joint Study Group" is scheduled to issue its final report at a meeting to be held in Seoul in early October, and is currently striving to complete its work by that time.

Japanese government sources confirmed that the two countries are consulting with a view to drawing up the final report at the next meeting of the Study Group and announcing the start of negotiations at the APEC Leaders Meeting.

However, both countries admit that, even if the start of negotiations is announced at the APEC Leaders Meeting, it is not yet clear whether the actual negotiations can start right away or whether a period of preparation will be required.

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Japan Proposes Abolition of Tariffs on 50 More Agricultural Products Under FTA With Mexico

On October 7, just prior to the start of negotiations with a view to the conclusion of a free trade agreement (FTA) with Mexico, the Japanese government drew up a comprehensive proposal embracing all product sectors. The new proposal adds some 50 agricultural products, including honey and bananas, to the list of more than 250 products on which Japan has already proposed to abolish tariffs, bringing the total to more than 300. The Japanese negotiators plan to maintain their basic position that pork, a subject of contention, should be excluded.

The Mexican and Japanese governments will start the final stage of negotiations on October 8, aiming to be ready for the conclusion of a framework agreement during the forthcoming visit to Japan of United Mexican States President Vicente Fox, which is scheduled to begin on October 15. The Japanese negotiators will present the proposal, which covers all areas of trade including agricultural products, and ask the Mexican government to make concessions for products such as pork, on which Japan feels it is unable to abolish tariffs.

The items added to the list of agricultural products on which Japan proposes to abolish tariffs are all products in which Mexico has expressed an interest, including honey (currently subject to a tariff of 25.5%), bananas (20% or 25% according to season), fresh grapefruit (10%), grapes (7.8% or 17% according to season), and the juices of these fruit. Japan proposes that the major types of meat, rice, sugar and other products subject to high tariffs should be treated as important products sectors and excluded from the agreement.

A senior official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said the proposal was Japan's best offer, explaining, "We have done everything possible given the present conditions in agriculture in this country." However, there is still a substantial gap between the Japanese proposal and the list of 490 items on which Mexico is pressing for the abolition of tariffs as a priority, and the negotiations are likely to be difficult.

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BSE: New Information Should be Used to Enhance Food Safety

Just when a consensus had been reached that the probable source of infection was meat-and-bone meal made from imported cattle, a new case of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) was discovered. The 23 month-old beef steer is the eighth infected animal to be discovered in Japan, but the form of the disease apparently differs from that observed in the earlier cases.

The animal in question is very young as compared with the seven infected cattle discovered to date, which were all over the age of five years. Moreover, experts say the structure and characteristics of its abnormal prions (the cause of BSE) differ from those seen in the earlier cases. It is thought that the steer had not yet shown symptoms of the disease when it was slaughtered. The reason for the apparent differences may be due to the infection being in its early stages, but there is likewise no denying the possibility that this may be a new type of BSE. Nor is it clear what level of risk the meat would present if eaten by human beings.

The first priority is to a thorough investigation of the nature of the BSE pathogens in this case. It is to be hoped that this can be established using animal tests, etc.

There are virtually no known cases of cattle this young becoming infected anywhere in the world. One possible reason is that, in Europe and America, testing has mostly targeted animals over 24-30 months old. The background reason is that experts have taken the view that the abnormal prion proteins in the animal's body only build up to a detectable level from this age onwards.

When Japan began testing cattle slaughtered for meat in the autumn of 2001, some expressed the view that testing should target animals over the age of 30 months. However, with a view to assuaging consumer fears, all slaughtered animals have been tested.

This is why it was possible to detect BSE infection in a younger animal and prevent its meat from coming onto the market. Although it is not clear what level of risk the meat would present if eaten, it would probably be fair to say that caution has paid off.

It is to be hoped that effective use will be made of this valuable new information to enhance food safety.

Another important task besides ascertaining the characteristics of the abnormal prions is to determine the route of infection. The steer in question was born after the use of meat-and-bone meal in Japan was prohibited. Given this fact, it is highly likely that the cause of infection is something other than meat-and-bone meal. However, it is also possible that leftover contaminated feed containing meat-and-bone meal was given to the animal by mistake. Whatever the case may be, it is vital that the matter be investigated in detail.

If it is found that this is a new strain of BSE, which develops in younger animals, there is cause for concern over the safety of imported beef. Japan must share its information internationally, and, if necessary, call on other countries to strengthen their testing programs.

Japan must also consider whether its arrangements for detecting new strains of BSE are adequate. In the first place, prions are strange pathogens, which defy the conventional wisdom that proteins cannot become infected. It should not be forgotten that they present many mysteries that have yet to be elucidated.

Japan has already had the experience of being behindhand with BSE countermeasures. If this latest case yields a new insight into the disease, it will contribute to the assurance of food safety at an international level. The government and experts should work with producers to take advance action and do everything in their power to assure food safety.

(from an editorial in the October 8, 2003 issue of the Mainichi Shimbun)

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