Category Archives: Food & Agriculture

Japan’s imports of processed chicken products increasing at record pace

TOKYO, Sept. 17 – Japan’s imports of processed chicken products, such as cooked chicken skewers, are rising at record pace this year, according to the Finance Ministry’s trade statistics. The statistics show the total amount of processed chicken imports in the period between January and July was nearly 10 percent more than the record highest volume posted in the same period in 2012, helped by increasing imports from Thailand. The imports were boosted by growing demand in the prepared foods industry, including food products sold at convenience stores, backed by rising health awareness among consumers. Domestic producers are also expanding their production, but have not been able to catch up … Continue reading

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Wagyu beef feeders compete in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, to win title of best beef in Japan

The 11th National Competitive Exhibition of Wagyu (Japanese beef cattle) was held during five days from September 7th to 11th in Sendai city, Miyagi Prefecture. 513 heads of bulls and cows from 39 prefectures participated in the quinquennial competition, where prefectures compete with pride and confidence in the shapes and the meat quality of their best wagyu. The judges this year gave the grand prize to Kagoshima Prefecture, which is the host of the next national exhibition. The venue also had booths for visitors to try beef from across the country and attracted 417,000 visitors in 5 days.

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The United States to allow imports of persimmons from Japan

TOKYO, Sept. 13 – The United States government has agreed to allow imports of fresh persimmons from Japan, Japan’s agriculture ministry announced Tuesday. The two governments reached consensus on necessary phytosanitary requirements, including appropriate pest control. Shipments of persimmons that meet the requirements are likely to start as early as this year. Japan had long been asking the U.S. to lift its import ban on Japan-grown persimmons. The U.S. government had been refusing to do so, citing insufficient pest control, but has judged the necessary conditions are met. The U.S. requires that persimmons to be imported from Japan be produced at farms which are registered at plant protection stations with … Continue reading

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Japanese pear exports to Vietnam resume after 10-year ban

SHIMOTSUMA, Sept. 7 — Japanese pear producers are getting access to Vietnam for the first time in 10 years. A Japanese pear, known as nashi, is apple-shaped with golden speckled skin and is somewhat different to a European pear; it is firm, crispy, sweet and juicy. In January, Vietnam lifted a ban on this crunchy late-summer fruit from Japan. Two months later, nashi producers in Shimotsuma city, Ibaraki prefecture, flew to Vietnam to develop the market. They sent test products by air and immediately struck a deal with local buyers, who accepted to pay 20 percent higher than prices paid to Japanese domestic producers. The Shimotsuma producers will export 100 … Continue reading

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Japan lifts 11-year import ban on Idaho potatoes after confirming lowered risk of pest invasion

TOKYO, Sept. 14 – The Japanese government lifted its import ban on raw chipping potatoes from Idaho, the largest potato producing state in the United States, for the first time in 11 years, effective Tuesday. Because the acreage in Idaho occupies 30 percent of potato crops in the U.S. – the world’s major potato growing country – the resumption of shipments could pose a threat to domestic production. Imports of fresh U.S.-made potatoes, used by Japanese snack makers to produce potato chips, have been on the rise in recent years, marking 28,000 tons in 2016. Japan began importing potatoes from the U.S. in February 2006. In April that year, the … Continue reading

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