Japan's prized Miyazaki beef is under threat from the country's first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in a decade, which has spread to more than 100 farms, officials said.
The health threat prompted Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to pledge 100 billion yen (1.08 billion dollars) Monday to assist farmers who are expected to lose some 16 billion yen from slaughtering their livestock.
The outbreak, which started last month, has forced the cull of 49 seed bulls, leaving just six to continue breeding a species of cattle that produces the tender premium beef from Miyazaki prefecture on Kyushu island.
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The country's famed "Wagyu" cattle -- including beef from Miyazaki, Kobe and other lush grazing regions -- first caught the world's attention following reports the Kobe brand is pampered, fed beer and massaged daily, sometimes with sake, and sometimes even treated to classical music for relaxation.
The beef is sought-after worldwide for its intense marbling with mostly unsaturated fat, and the variety from Miyazaki typically wholesales for around 160 to 320 dollars a kilogramme in Japan.
The foot-and-mouth outbreak, Japan's first since 2000, was detected on April 20 and has spread to 111 farms in Miyazaki in Japan's south, involving more than 85,000 cattle and pigs, a prefectural farm official said.
The disease affects cloven-hoofed animals, also including sheep, goats and deer. It is rarely transmitted to humans but spreads easily between animals, causing them pain and often killing their young.
The six most prized bulls from Miyazaki were moved to a safe and isolated location to ensure their survival, said the official, adding that breeding a seed bull was often an arduous task, taking about seven years.
"We are praying that we can do something so that the beef brand will survive," the official told AFP.
Japan has already suspended exports of meat products including Wagyu beef. Japan exports some 35 tonnes of the premium beef from Miyazaki every year.
The Japanese government has stepped up efforts to contain the outbreak, putting together Monday an emergency task force to set up roadside disinfection checkpoints for agricultural vehicles and speed up compensation for farmers.
Fears are growing that the outbreak may spread beyond Miyazaki.
"It's becoming a problem not just in Miyazaki prefecture but also on the entire Kyushu island. Above all, we must prevent the disease from spreading further," warned Ban Kugimiya, the mayor of nearby Oita city.
The outbreak has also forced the Phoenix Zoo in Miyazaki City to close temporarily in order to prevent contamination of vulnerable species including its giraffes, camels and antelopes.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation last month urged countries to step up vigilance against foot-and-mouth disease following the cases in Japan and an outbreak in South Korea since early April.
