AUSTRALIA'S beef capital is set to benefit from the free trade agreement with Japan.

Federal member for Capricornia Michelle Landry said the arrangement was being welcomed by the beef industry, which had suffered through the axing of live cattle exports and the drought.

"We are Australia's beef capital and this will help us shine even further on the supermarket shelves and restaurant menus of Japan," she said.

"The agreement is a major windfall for Australian beef, our biggest agricultural export to Japan, currently worth $1.4 billion."

The deal will initially involve halving the tariff on frozen beef from 38.5% to 19.5% over the coming years.

Big tariff cuts are expected in the first year of the deal.

Rockhampton mayor Margaret Strelow said the trade deal could not have come at a better time for the town.

"We are delighted there's such a strong focus on agriculture as the tariff reductions on primary production play to one of Central Queensland's long strengths," she said.

"We are in the box seat to work with the industry and with government to help this vital sector grow."

She also said the food bowl concept had been on the back burner for too long.

Rockhampton Regional Council has been updating work they originally did in 2007 on the Fitzroy Industry and Infrastructure Study.

The study was to re-establish a case for significant investment in the region.