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No support in the Japanese Beef Industry for FTA with
Australia.
The following is a transcript from the World Today
Programme broadcast on ABC Radio, Australia on April 19th 2005.
| ABC Radio: The World Today
- Tuesday, 19 April , 2005 12:26:00
Reporter: Peter Cave
ELEANOR HALL: When he leaves China
for Japan tomorrow, Prime Minister, John Howard, will still be
focusing on a free trade deal. He will be asking his Japanese
counterpart, Junichiro Koizumi, to start down the track of a
Free Trade Agreement between Australia and Japan.
But while trade between the countries is already booming, inside
Japan the prospect of a free trade deal with Australia is not
popular, as Foreign Affairs Editor Peter Cave reports from
Fukushima.
(Sound of cow lowing)
PETER CAVE: This is a Japanese Wagyu beef farm, about 100 head,
two or three to a pen and fed prime grain until their flesh is
marbled with fat. It's an expensive business not very efficient,
and that's reflected in the price it brings. You wont get a lot
of change from $150 a kilogram.
But there is still a keen market for the melt in the mouth
morsels briefly grilled over the Yakinikku brazier, and then
dipped in a rich sauce to be eaten.
(Sound of sizzling meat)
Australia can and does produce high quality beef for the
Japanese market.
(Sound of people ordering food)
But this is where most Australian beefs ends up – in a hamburger
joint.
But farmers like Fusako Suzuki who runs a small cattle stud in
the mountains of Fukushima are worried that an Australian Free
Trade Agreement will force prices down across the board and make
her small farm, just 30 head of stock, unviable.
FUSAKO SUZUKI (translated): Our income will be affected. We will
not have farms to pass on to our kids.
PETER CAVE: A little further up the mountain, Toru Yamauji runs
a large farm by Japanese standards producing cross bred cattle
for a less expensive market. He's the chairman of the Japanese
Cattlemen's Union and he sees the FTA as direct competition.
TORU YAMAUJI (translated): I am against it, I am against it.
PETER CAVE: Why is that?
TORU YAMAUJI (translated): We have tried to cut costs as much as
possible but we can't cut costs any further. If much cheaper
Australian beef is imported we will be badly hurt.
PETER CAVE: The Australian Government has said that a Free Trade
Agreement would make Japanese agriculture more efficient and
they would be able to export more. What do you think of that
argument?
TORU YAMAUJI (translated): About two thirds of farmers are
fattening calves in mountain areas like this. They are family
businesses and only have a few cattle. If much cheaper beef is
imported I think they will be damaged a lot.
I would like to appeal to the Japanese Government and
politicians to take action against any FTA keeping in mind the
future of Japanese agriculture.
PETER CAVE: Japan has free trade agreements with other
countries. Why is Australia different?
(Toru laughs)
TORU YAMAUJI (translated): Australian beef is produced very
cheaply, if we import from them there will be a large impact on
Japan.
PETER CAVE: Toru Yamauji.
And it appears that he has some support for his views within the
Japanese Government, with the Agriculture Minister telling a
news conference last week that he doesn't think that an FTA with
Australia is necessary.
This is Peter Cave reporting from Fukushima for the The World
Today.
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