Mr Peter Morris asked the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy, upon notice, on 7 April 1998:

(1) What (a) types and (b) quantities of Australian beef were exported to Japan in 1996-97.

(2) What was the average price per kilogram received by beef producers for each type of beef referred to in part (1).

(3) What was the (a) landed cost and (b) average retail price of each type of beef exported to Japan in 1996-97.

Mr Anderson (Primary Industries and Energy) —The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

I am advised by the Australian Meat and Live-stock Corporation that—

(1) Export volume data has been categorised in the form under which the market operates.

Australian Beef/Veal exports to Japan 1996-97

(2) and (3) The export product categories are usually much more detailed than the categories of livestock being marketed in Australia, reflecting the carcase breakup into its component parts for marketing to the various sectors of the trade in each destination. Consequently it is difficult to provide an average price per kilogram received by beef producers for each type of beef exported.

As an example, Japanese grass-fed bullocks is the accepted livestock benchmark category for the Japanese market.

Indicator price for steers to Japan, AUS-MEAT Classes 32—40, Fat score 4 (Dressed weight 300.1 to 400 kg)—Qld Over-the-Hooks prices A cents/kg in 1996/97—averaged 169 cents/kg for Grassfed and 209 cents/kg for Grainfed.

Export price information has been calculated back to Australian cents/per kilo FAS.

Australian beef export average prices (A cents/kg FAS) to Japan in 1996-97:

In Japan, while upwards of 40% of our product finds its way to the retail counter, valid price series data has proven difficult and expensive to obtain on a regular basis. Of the 8,000 or so stores that Australian beef is retailed through each year in Japan, the Agricultural and Livestock Industries

Corporation (ALIC) collects price series data on Australian beef using a 16 store sample. While limited in its scope, the survey does provide some insight into retail prices for imported beef in the period under review: