(JP)Cow fetches 30 million yen despite scare

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http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20011130b9.htm

 

Cow fetches 30 million yen despite scare

 

TSU, Mie Pref. (Kyodo) A 3-year-old cow named Yuki,

winner of this year's top Matsusaka prize, was

auctioned off Wednesday for 30 million yen in

Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture, despite the dark clouds

hanging over the dairy industry due to the mad cow

disease scare.

 

The bid for Yuki outjumped last year's bid by about 10

million yen, drawing attention in a country firmly in

the grip of mad cow disease. The highest bid of all

time was about 49 million yen, made in 1989 during the

high-flying bubble economy.

 

The 670-kg Yuki, raised by dairy farmer Yukio Noguchi,

67, of Ise, won top prize at an annual cattle fair

earlier in the day, receiving the stamp of approval

certifying the cow as Japan's most prestigious brand

of beef.

 

" Not only have I fattened up my cows, but I have made

them walk everyday so they are in good shape, " Noguchi

said. " My cows are also free of mad cow disease

because I use only natural soy-based feed. "

 

Matsusaka-brand beef, known for its tender and juicy

qualities, is popular for making sukiyaki and can sell

for up to 2,200 yen per 100 grams in retail shops.

Fears over beef safety, however, have sent consumption

of beef tumbling, and many producers are having

difficulty selling their cows.

 

Farmers at the fair were undeterred, drawing attention

to the high quality of the famous animals as the

judges examined their black bodies.

 

Yuki found a buyer in Shizuo Kashiwagi, president of

Tsu-based Matsusaka beef retailer Asahiya.

 

Asked why he bid so much more than last year,

Kashiwagi said: " Dairy farmers face a crisis due to

the mad cow disease scare. I want to bring some light

into their hearts. "

 

Due to the mad cow disease scare, a meat distribution

center in Matsusaka shipped only 223 head of cattle in

October, compared with the 706 it sent in the same

month the previous year.

 

Since September, two Holsteins were found to have been

infected with the brain-wasting illness, formally

called bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

 

The Japan Times: Nov. 30, 2001

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