Newsfrom Japan

Tokyo, March 26 (Jiji Press)--The Liberal Democratic Party on Thursday compiled an outline of proposed stimulus measures for the agriculture and forestry industries in response to the COVID-19 crisis featuring shopping vouchers to buy Japanese beef.

The ruling party is seeking to prop up demand for "wagyu" beef that has plummeted due mainly to a slump in the number of foreign visitors to Japan.

The drop in inbound tourists, as well as a decrease in people eating out amid concerns about the novel coronavirus, has led to a slide in wholesale prices of beef.

The LDP plans to limit the use of the vouchers to purchases of domestic beef as it hopes to support domestic livestock farmers.

The outline also calls for distributing coupons for eating out and supporting the promotion of fresh flowers, whose demand is plummeting.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]