TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) — Japan’s widening ban on cattle shipments after the discovery of radiation-contaminated feed will reduce domestic beef output in the short term, but it remains unclear to what degree exporters could benefit.
Japan has extended its ban on beef cattle shipments to four prefectures in the northeast after discovering that some farmers had fed their cattle straw that was left outdoors following the March 11 earthquake and subsequently contaminated with radioactive cesium from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
“Beef consumption in general has been declining, including domestic beef, and there are stocks, so we don’t expect beef importsto jump immediately,” a farm ministry official said.
