Wagyu feed under threat from swine flu

The world’s most pampered cows are finding that a key supplement in their diet is getting harder to come by thanks to thousands of pigs falling sick in China.

Japan’s wagyu, known for its marbled meat, are dependent on China for supplies of rice straw, an important part of the gourmet cattle’s highcalorie, high-protein diet.

Since the outbreak of African swine fever in China, a large portion of the vital feed has been banned from Japan.