Articles on Avian Flu

Japan Suspends Imports of Poultry and Poultry Products from China

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) announced, on May 12, that Animal Quarantine Service inspectors had detected avian influenza (fowl plague) in duck meat originating in China, and that it was imposing a temporary ban on poultry and poultry products from that country.  The ban is intended to prevent the avian influenza virus from entering Japan.  Japan imports approximately 260,000 tons of poultry and poultry products (mainly broiler chickens and duck meat) from China every year, accounting for approximately 40% of all poultry imports by volume.

The duck meat in question originated in Shangdong Province.  MAFF lifted an earlier ban on imports of duck meat from China on January 10 this year.

Japan Lifts Ban on Imports of Chicken meat from China; Ban on Duck Imports Remains in Place

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) announced, on August 19, that it had lifted the temporary ban on imports of chicken and chicken products from China, imposed after an outbreak of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza (fowl plague). MAFF has been able to confirm that no fresh outbreaks of avian influenza have occurred in China for at least 90 days and that appropriate sanitary measures have been taken. However, the ban on imports of duck and duck products, in which the same virus was detected, will remain in place.

The Japanese government imposed a temporary ban on imports of poultry such as chicken and duck, and their products, on May 12, after avian influenza was identified in duck meat originating in China.

Having confirmed that China has taken steps to prevent the outbreak from spreading, MAFF has lifted the temporary ban on imports of chicken and products derived from chickens slaughtered on or after August 17, 2003. However, MAFF has postponed the lifting of the ban on imports of poultry other than chicken (ducks, etc.), in which the same virus was identified in May, having judged that sanitary conditions need improvement.

First Avian Flu Outbreak in 79 Years; MAFF Establishes Countermeasures HQ

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and Yamaguchi Prefectural Government announced on January 12 that an outbreak of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza (fowl plague) had been confirmed at a chicken farm in Ato, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The outbreak of avian influenza confirmed in central Korea in December 2003 is spreading, and Japanese chicken farmers have been harboring a growing sense of crisis. Although there have been cases of humans contracting avian influenza after contact with live chickens, there are no known cases of humans catching the disease after consuming the meat, edible offal or eggs of infected birds. It is 79 years since the last outbreak of avian influenza was confirmed in Japan, in 1925.

On January 13, in view of the outbreak of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza in this country, MAFF established a countermeasures headquarters within the Ministry to coordinate action against the disease, headed by Senior Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Eikou Kaneta, and said it would do everything in its power to prevent an epidemic.

Mr. Kaneta opened an address to the countermeasures headquarters by calling on the new body to do everything in its power to ascertain the details of the outbreak, identify its source, prevent an epidemic, ensure the safety of chicken and chicken products, and assure public confidence in their safety. At a press conference on the same day, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Yoshiyuki Kamei said MAFF was working with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Food Safety Commission to ensure that countermeasures were effective. Mr. Kamei also called for a calm response to the outbreak, telling reporters that there had been no reported cases of humans catching the disease from chicken eggs, meat or offal and urging consumers to act calmly.

Also on January 13, MAFF confirmed that the highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza detected in Yamaguchi Prefecture was of the "H5N1" type, the same as the strain responsible for the major outbreak in Korea and the outbreak in Hong Kong in 2003.

Yamaguchi Prefecture to be Declared Fowl Plague Free on February 19

On February 14, Yamaguchi Prefectural Government announced that tests on chickens at farms within the quarantined area after an outbreak of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza (fowl plague) at a poultry farm in the Prefecture, had all given negative results. The tests were conducted to determine whether or not the outbreak had spread. On receiving notification, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) informed Yamaguchi Prefectural Government that it was considering lifting the ban on the movement of poultry as of February 19. MAFF revealed its intention in a reply to Yamaguchi Prefectural Government's request for an early lifting of the ban. If no further outbreaks are discovered, an official decision will be made at a meeting of the countermeasures headquarters on February 18.

Lifting of Ban on Poultry Product Imports is Conditional on Thorough Avian Flu Countermeasures

Referring to the ban on imports of chicken meat from Thailand, China and other major exporting countries imposed following the outbreaks of highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza (fowl plague), Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Yoshiyuki Kamei told reporters at a regular press conference on January 30, "Imports of chicken and other processed poultry products may be permitted if it can be determined that avian influenza in the country concerned has completely died out, or that the facilities at which they are processed are run in a hygienic manner. If a request for the lifting of the ban is received from an exporting country, Japan's policy is to discuss the recommencement of imports of poultry products separately for each processing facility.

If the ban on imports of processed poultry products from a country that has had an outbreak of avian influenza is to be lifted, it will be necessary to agree new hygiene standards, such as control temperature to which products are heated and maintenance of factory facilities with the country concerned, and to send inspectors to conduct on-site checks at processing facilities.

Cabinet Office Launches Avian Influenza Emergency Research Program

On January 23, the Cabinet Office revealed that all government institutions concerned would be undertaking emergency research in connection with the recent outbreaks of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza (fowl plague). Besides determining the source of the disease and measuring its pathogenicity, the research will seek to develop vaccines to prevent transmission to humans, methods for early diagnosis and response manuals.

The research will be conducted jointly by a number of research organizations and universities, led by the National Institute of Animal Health (NIAH). The official decision to launch the program was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Office Council for Science and Technology Policy, on January 29.

Articles on Other Domestic Livestock-related Issues

MAFF Decides FY 2003 Administrative Prices for Agricultural Products

On March 13, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) decided the FY 2003 "administrative prices" for livestock farming products, and related measures.  The unit price for grants to producers of milk for processing¹ has been reduced by \0.26/kg to \10.74/kg, and the "volume limit" has been reduced by 100,000 tons to 2.1 million tons.  The stabilization prices for pork and beef ("designated meats"), as well as the guaranteed standard price and rationalization target price for beef calves, among other items, remain unchanged.

The unit price for grants to producers of milk for processing has been cut to reflect the recovery in the prices of beef calves and aged cattle, which crashed in the wake of the BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) outbreak.  However, MAFF limited the extent of the cut in view of the rise in production costs due to higher feed prices.

　¹ Grants to producers of milk for processing

　"Milk for processing" is raw milk used in the making of butter, skimmed milk powder and other dairy products.  Its market price is lower than that of milk for drinking.  For this reason, the grants the government pays to ensure that production can be continued are known as "grants to producers of milk for processing".  The amounts received by dairy farmers are based on the sales price of milk for processing, settled through negotiations between designated milk producers' associations and milk product manufacturers, plus the grants to producers of milk for processing.  MAFF sets a an upper limit on the volume of milk for processing that qualifies for grants, known as the "volume limit".

Number of Beef Farmers Falling;  Scale of Livestock Farms Growing

The latest Statistics on Livestock published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) on April 30 reveal that the number of dairy farmers in Japan has fallen below the watershed figure of 30,000.  The number of beef farmers has fallen below 100,000 and the number of pig farmers has fallen below 10,000.  However, the number of animals per farm has risen in all sectors, and the scale of individual livestock farming operations is growing at a steady pace.

As of February 1, 2003, the number of dairy farmers was down 3.9% year-on-year, to 29,800.  The total number of animals was level with 2002 at 1,719,000.  The number of animals per farm was 58, two more than in 2002.  By region, the number of animals in Hokkaido, which accounts for approximately half of all dairy cattle in Japan, was up slightly.

The number of beef farmers was down 5.9% on 2002, at 98,100, while the number of animals was down 1.2% to 2,804,000.  The number of beef breed animals was level with 2002 at 1,705,000, while the number of dairy breed animals was down 2.4% at 1,100,000.  The number of animals per farm was 29, up two on 2002.

The number of pig farms was down 5.7% at 9,430.  The total number of pigs was up 1.2% at 9,725,000.  The number of animals per farm was 1,031, topping 1,000 for the first time.  The number of egg farmers was down 4.2% at 4,340.  The number of laying hens per farm was up 1,200 at 31,600.

New Basic Law on Food Safety Establishes Inter-Ministry Food Safety Commission

A new Basic Law on Food Safety, whose provisions center on the establishment of a Food Safety Commission within the Cabinet Office, to be responsible for evaluating the risk to health presented by foods and advising government ministries and agencies on appropriate countermeasures, was approved by a plenary session of the House of Councilors and became law on May 16.  Under the auspices of the Food Safety Commission, due to be established in July, the government hopes to achieve the transition to a system of food safety administration that takes the consumer's point of view.

Under the present system of food safety administration, for example, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) on one hand, has had regulatory authority with respect to assuring the safety of livestock feeds and, on the other, has been responsible for promoting the development of livestock farming and the livestock feed industry.  As a result, there has been a tendency to emphasize the interests of industry over those of the consumer, and to avoid strict regulation.

Under the new system supervised by the Food Safety Commission, a clear distinction is made between responsibility for "risk assessment" (the scientific evaluation of the risk to health presented by foods) and "risk management" (the implementation of specific testing and regulatory measures on the basis of risk assessments.

The Food Safety Commission is to assess the risk to health presented by foods, on the basis of which it will recommend appropriate action to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), etc.  On the basis of its recommendations, the ministries and agencies concerned will implement specific measures, such as restricting use or importation, and the Commission will be responsible for checking that the measures are properly implemented.

The Food Safety Commission will be made up of seven specialists in fields such as

toxicology, microbiology and sanitary science.  A specialist research committee with a part-time membership of approximately 200 experts on food additives, genetically modified foods, agricultural chemicals, etc., reporting to the Commission, will also be established.

Over the past few years, Japan has gone through an outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) and a series of scandals over the falsification of food labeling, and the key to restoring public confidence in food safety administration lies in the management of the new system and the results it achieves.  Reflecting the views of the consumer in food safety administration and ensuring the transparency of internal discussion are likely to be of key importance.

MAFF Reorganization Replaces Food Agency with Food Safety & Consumer Affairs Bureau

A reorganization of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), effective as of July 1, created a new Food Safety & Consumer Affairs Bureau (previously referred to in this publication by the provisional name “Consumer Safety Bureau”) with a view to restoring public trust and peace of mind in relation to food safety and promoting a consumer-oriented approach to food administration, and established new Food Safety & Consumer Affairs Departments within the District Agriculture Offices (which replace the Local Food Agency Offices) and Regional Agricultural Administration Offices.  Under the new organization, a total of 4,500 staff at central and local offices will work to assure food safety and peace of mind as set out in the Policy Framework for Food Safety and Peace of Mind, published in June.

As part of the same reorganization, the Food Agency, responsible for staple food administration for half a century, was disbanded and its duties were taken over by a new Staple Food Department, established within the General Food Policy Bureau, which will have overall responsibility for assuring food supply stability, including administrative authority over the food industry.

The International Affairs Department, formerly part of the General Food Policy Bureau, was also transferred to the Minister’s Secretariat, to facilitate a coordinated approach to international issues such as the WTO agricultural trade negotiations.

A chart showing the new organization can be viewed at

http://www.maff.go.jp/eindex.html

A number of personnel transfers were made in conjunction with the reorganization.  The

major executive appointments include:

Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Mr. Yoshiaki Watanabe

Vice-Minister for International Affairs: Mr. Hiroyuki Kinoshita

Director-General of Minister’s Secretariat: Mr. Yoshio Kobayashi

Director-General for Policy Coordination, Minister’s Secretariat: Mr. Ariyuki Matsumoto

Director-General for International Affairs, Minister’s Secretariat: Mr. Hidenori Murakami

Director-General, International Affairs Department,Minister’s Secretariat: Mr. Kozo Konishi

Director-General of General Food Policy Bureau: Mr. Kikuhito Sugata

Director-General of Staple Food Department: Mr. Toshihiko Takemoto

Director-General of Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau: Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa

Director-General of Agricultural Production Bureau: Mr. Toshiro Shirasu

Director-General of Livestock Industry Department,Agricultural Production Bureau: Mr. Michio Ide

Director-General of Management Improvement Bureau: Mr. Hidesaburo Kawamura

Director-General of Rural Development Bureau: Mr. Shinsuke Ohta

Director-General of Council’s Secretariat,Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Research Council: Mr. Ichiro Ishihara

Director-General of Forestry Agency: Mr. Mamoru Ishihara

Director-General of Fisheries Agency: Mr. Fumio Tahara

Food Safety Commission Chairman Calls for Internationally Recognized Risk Evaluations

A new Food Safety Commission was established within the Cabinet Office on

July 1.  The Commission, which has a membership of seven newly appointed

commissioners, will evaluate the risk to health presented by foods

independently from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

(MAFF) and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), and is

intended to serve as the mainstay of a drive to restore public confidence

in the safety of food, undermined by the BSE (bovine spongiform

encephalopathy) crisis and other recent events.

At its first meeting, also convened on July 1, the Commission chose Mr. Masaaki Terada, former president of the National Cancer Center, to be its chairman.  At the same time, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi appointed Mr. Sadakazu Tanigaki, until now Chairman of the Food Safety Commission, to the post of Minister of State with responsibility for Food Safety.

Mr. Terada stressed the importance of taking international standards into consideration when evaluating risk, saying, “It is the Commission’s duty to conduct risk evaluations that

will be recognized worldwide”.  He also stated the need for disclosure, cooperation

between government ministries and agencies and a systematic assignation of responsibility.

Mr. Tanigaki described the Commission as “the keystone of food safety administration” and expressed the hope that it would “discuss a wide range of issues relating to food safety in a scientific and intelligible manner”.

The Commission will meet once a week and, as a rule, will publish accounts of its proceedings.  The most urgent tasks facing the Commission in the short term are evaluations of the safety of agricultural chemicals, food additives and animal pharmaceuticals.