Title: A Comparative Study of Beef Production Costs between Japan and the United States
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to compare beef production costs between Japan and the United States, and investigate strategies of reduction in cost of producing beef in Japan. A greater emphasis is placed on estimating costs of the feedlots in the United States which are operating to export beef to Japan. A questionaire survey was carried out at 5 feedlots in 1991. But costs data received from 3 feedlots are used in this analysis. The major results are as follows:1. Although there is a wide difference in herd size per operation between two countries, the Japanese cost per day for feeding Wagyu steers is only 1.6 times higher than the U. S. cost per day for beef cattle.2. However, the total cost per head for Wagyu steers in Japan is 4.8 times higher than the total cost per head in the United States.3. The feeding period in Japan is 3 times as long as the U. S. mainly because the conversion rate in feeding Wagyu steers is so low.4. Consequently, the 4.8 times difference in total cost per head is due to the 3 times difference in feeding period and the 1.6 times difference in daily cost.5. The major part of the total costs per head in both countries is the feeder calf cost, which comprises 58 percent of the total cost in either country.6. The results of analysis on costs for dairy steer feeding show that 3.1 times difference in total cost per head is caused by 2.1 times difference in feeding period and 1.5 times difference in daily cost.