Furthermore, the regulation establishes an annual quota level for live cattle and beef based on the estimated shortfall between domestic supply and demand. This quota is allocated by MoT to importers in two six-month tranches: 1 January to 30 June and 1 July to 31 December, based on historical volumes. The quota has been introduced as one of the policy measures to achieve beef self-sufficiency. In practice officials have significantly overestimated domestic supply relative to demand and prices have risen sharply.