Prices of high-quality domestic beef recovered slightly Tuesday at Tokyo's central wholesale market, where a beef auction was held for the first time this year.
While demand for beef is generally weak due to lingering fears over mad cow disease, prices of high-quality beef per kilogram rose by between 200 yen and 300 yen compared with levels recorded on Dec. 29, the final trading day of 2001.
This was primarily due to firm demand on the part of wholesalers returning from the New Year's holidays.