Concerns about disappearance of local wagyu brands!

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January 16, 16:30

Last summer, I heard this from a person involved in livestock farming in the western part of Shimane Prefecture

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What does "no brand" mean?

You mean you can't eat anymore?

Looking at the background, we can see the shadow of the Ukraine crisis that shakes the world's "food" order here in Shimane Prefecture.

(Matsue Broadcasting Station Reporter Daisuke Sato)

Popular all over Japan!

"Iwami Wagyu Beef"

There is concern about the disappearance of the brand of Iwami Wagyu beef, a specialty of Shimane Prefecture.

About 200 of them are bred annually, mainly in the western part of the prefecture, and last year's sales totaled more than 110 million yen.

It is also popular as a return gift for hometown tax donations, and is a brand of beef that has many fans all over the country.

It was last summer that I experienced the taste of Iwami Wagyu beef for the first time.

Shortly after I was assigned to the Hamada Branch, which is in charge of the western part of the prefecture, I visited an Italian restaurant in Onan-cho, the western part of the prefecture.

A popular restaurant that sometimes receives more than 100 reservations per month.

One of the signature menu items is Iwami Wagyu beef steak that is slowly grilled over charcoal.

One bite and...

The meat melted in an instant, and the high-quality sweetness and umami spread in my mouth all at once.

This is delicious!

The head chef also gave him the stamp of approval that he was "indispensable to the restaurant."

Ukraine crisis and yen depreciation exacerbate situation

Why, then, is such an indispensable presence in the region facing a crisis of extinction?

The impetus was a policy to withdraw from the fattening business of wagyu beef launched by local JA Shimane this summer.

"Wagyu beef fattening business".

It's an unfamiliar word, but here's a quick explanation.

In Shimane Prefecture, JA operates facilities called "Fat Centers" in five locations.

The fattening center purchased calves from livestock farmers throughout the prefecture, raised them, and shipped them all at once.

Shimane's unique initiative to secure stable sales channels for farmers, of these, only cattle raised at the fattening center in Onan Town in the western part of the prefecture have been sold under the brand name of Iwami Wagyu.

JA has been in business for more than 40 years, but the business has suffered long-term losses.

When I visited one of the fattening centers for coverage, I felt that the aging of the building was noticeable.

The situation was exacerbated by Russia's military invasion of Ukraine last February.

Due to the unstable situation in Ukraine, which is a major grain producing area, the price of feed, which is indispensable for livestock farming, has soared.

put more pressure on management.

The rapid depreciation of the yen also spurred price hikes, forcing JA to announce its withdrawal from the business.

If JA were to completely withdraw from the business, the preconditions established by JA's fattening center would collapse, and there is a risk that the Iwami Wagyu brand itself would disappear.

Acceptance of livestock farmers

To be honest, even as a JA, I think it was a decision that I couldn't take back.

However, the announcement of the business withdrawal policy was made suddenly without prior groundwork, and the shock spread to those involved in the livestock industry.

“When I first heard about it in the media, I thought it was a lie,” says Noboru Yamada (71), a livestock farmer in Misato-cho, the western part of the prefecture, which is one of the prefecture's leading producers of Iwami Wagyu beef.

He has been in the livestock industry for more than 70 years since his great-grandfather's generation, and now raises nine cows.

Hard work from 6:00 in the morning to 6:00 in the evening, such as cleaning the barn and feeding the cows.

Due in part to the lack of successors due to the depopulation and aging of the population, livestock farmers in the prefecture have continued to decline.

The number of calves that Mr. Yamada himself raises has also been cut in half.

Furthermore, in the past few years, the impact of the new coronavirus has combined with soaring feed prices, and management has been forced to barely manage.

Withdrawal policy from Japanese beef fattening business by JA who jumped there.

Mr. Yamada dropped his shoulders, saying, "If the brand disappears, it will be a big loss."

Mr. Noboru Yamada

“I think JA has its own circumstances, but Iwami Wagyu beef is only possible because of the fattening center. , I want JA to continue the business.”

Efforts to protect the brand

If the Iwami Wagyu brand disappears, the damage to the local economy will be immeasurable.

Some local governments in the western part of the prefecture began to submit written requests directly to the JA, saying, "I want you to somehow continue the operation of the business."

On the other hand, some local governments have begun to explore on their own instead of relying only on JA.

That is Misato Town.

After JA's announcement, the person in charge regularly visited livestock farmers in the town and began conducting interviews about detailed requests.

On the day I interviewed, the person in charge drove on a mountain road early in the morning and spent more than an hour visiting three farms.

In addition to directly conveying the collected requests to JA, the town is also considering exploring new sales channels other than JA, such as whether it is possible to directly connect farmers and sales destinations through the town's mediation.

Misato Town Industry Promotion Division Shiho Satake

"Iwami Wagyu has always existed with the community and is a high-quality wagyu brand. We are protecting the brand by actually listening to the voices of the farmers and implementing support measures to maintain and continue the business. want to go"

While local governments are taking active steps, JA has not changed its policy of withdrawing from direct management of fattening centers.

Regarding the fattening center in Onan Town, which sells Iwami Wagyu beef, we are seeking a new business operator to take over the operation, and we hope to find a business operator by March this year.

The livestock division of JA Shimane's livestock department responded to an interview, saying, "We would like to proceed with the study while carefully listening to the voices of stakeholders such as local governments and producers."

However, the future remains uncertain as to whether a successor can really be found, whether the same quality can be guaranteed, and above all, whether the Iwami Wagyu brand can be maintained.

Through this interview, I witnessed livestock farmers and related parties in the region being tossed about by the turbulent world economy and market movements.

There was also the danger that if the regional brands that had been cultivated over many years disappeared, the preconditions for regional economies would be lost.

I strongly felt that this kind of problem could occur not only in Shimane Prefecture, but anywhere in Japan.

Matsue Broadcasting Station Reporter

Daisuke Sato

Joined in 2nd year of Reiwa

Matsue Station was first appointed

from last summer.