Japan Move To 30 Months Adds To Carcass Value

Long term fed cattle prices will get a boost from Monday’s announcement that Japan will be accepting U.S. beef up to 30 months of age starting on February 1. Previously they’d only taken imports from cattle less than 20 months. Joe Schuele with the U.S. Meat Export Federation says U.S. beef exports to Japan have recovered close to pre-BSE levels at nearly one-billion annually. However, with the expanded market access exports could increase roughly 45-percent in the coming year.

Schuele says that will translate into an increase in beef export value of 20-dollars per head for fed slaughter and provide positive momentum for U.S. beef exports in the future.

Japan was the number two market for beef exports in 2012. He says of the nearly one-billion dollars of exports this past year they bought 850-million dollars of muscle cuts and 120 million dollars of variety meats.

Japan Move to 30 Months Adds to Carcass Value