Japan's Beef Industry: Economics and Technology for the Year 2000

The key question addressed in this book is whether Japan's beef industry can survive into the next century. Per capita consumption of beef and veal has increased in Japan by more than fivefold in the period 1960 to 1990, and is still increasing. Imports have grown and a central issue is the extent to which Japan's domestic beef industry can meet projected demand and compete with foreign produced beef.

The book begins with an overview of agriculture in Japan and of the changes which have and are taking place in dietary patterns and beef consumption. It then assesses the current production situation and technological changes. The authors describe their own computer program for the economic analysis of embryo transfer, a technique which has the most potential to reduce significantly the cost of beef production. The concluding chapter then provides a summary of policy implications in relation to technological, economic and social factors.