Category Archives: Trade Talks

TOKYO, Feb. 9 — Persimmons topped the list of agricultural items whose exports posted year-on-year increase in terms of value in 2022, and fruits occupied more than half of the top 10 products, according to rankings compiled by the Japan Agricultural News based on agriculture ministry statistics on farm produce exports. Eggs and rice were also ranked high on the list. Exports of items which succeeded in meeting the needs of importing countries with their good taste and high quality unique to Japanese produce have risen in particular. The Japan Agricultural News listed major agricultural products which recorded exports of 100 million yen or more in 2022 and ranked them … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Feb. 4 — The value of Japan’s exports of primary agricultural products in 2022 rose 11 percent from the previous year to 381.8 billion yen. The figure was calculated by subtracting the value of exports of processed food items from the total amount, based on the data released by the agriculture ministry on Feb. 3. Amid the recovery of demand for eating out as well as the steady household and gift demands, orders for Japan-made produce increased due to their comparatively low prices thanks to the weak yen. Japan is facing the challenge of maintaining the popularity of its farm products, as consumption is expected to slow down in … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Jan. 9 — Japan’s exports of processed foods made from ingredients imported from overseas have been increasing rapidly. Export value figures in the last decade show that shipments rose particularly for coffee beans, increasing six times over the period, and instant coffee, up five times. Such items are categorized as Japan-made agricultural and food products when they are exported, which means it is becoming more difficult to determine to what extent exports are contributing to boosting Japan’s agriculture. It is urgently needed to grasp the situation of exports of foods that use ingredients shipped from abroad. The Japanese government has set a goal of raising the country’s exports of … Continue reading →

AOMORI, Dec. 13 – Hirosaki University in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, has launched an initiative with a trading company in Tokyo to cultivate Kimito, an apple variety developed by the university, in Japan and South Africa to be shipped to the Asian region. By realizing a year-round supply of apples of an original variety across national borders, they hope to expand sales channels for apples including domestically-produced ones. They have obtained intellectual property rights for the variety overseas and plan to return the profits to the university. Withmettac Foods, Inc., a fruits trading company with a strong overseas network, gained a breeder’s right and a trademark right for Kimito in South … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 17 – Gunma Meigetsu, a yellow apple variety, with water core, a sign that the fruit has more sugar than most apples of the same variety, is recently attracting popularity at home and abroad. The variety is large in size, weighing roughly 300-350 grams each, and has high-quality flavor, with its sugar content at 15 degrees Brix or more. JA Tsugaru Mirai, an agricultural cooperative in Aomori Prefecture, is focusing on exporting the fruit to respond to growing demand in the Asian markets, shipping 60% of high-grade Gunma Meigetsu overseas. Amid aging of farmers and climate change, the number of yellow apple varieties with high sugar content is … Continue reading →