The Japanese farm ministry has estimated the cost of mad cow disease at more than ¥365bn (US$2.7bn)

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Kikuhito Sugata, director general of Japan’s Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry’s agricultural production bureau was cited as saying yesterday [Thursday] that the estimated figure of ¥365bn includes damage to the farm industry and related industries.


Furthermore, Sugata said that in the five months since the outbreak, farm revenues are believed to have plummeted ¥131bn from a year earlier, while retail meat sales have fallen ¥160bn. Sales at ‘yakiniku’ beef barbecue restaurants are believed to have slumped by ¥74-90bn.


Sugata is quoted as saying that the total would lie between ¥365bn and ¥381bn. The government has invested ¥100bn in compensating farmers for their losses.

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