ZEN-NOH Group networked by ZEN-NOH or National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations and its affiliates is striving to expand export markets of “Wagyu” Japanese beef particularly in Asian and European regions.
ZEN-NOH has set a goal to achieve Japanese beef exports of 500 tons in 2020, which is to increase by 1.8 times during the 2016-2020 five-year period.
Sales of Japanese beef have been growing in the international market. The exports to the United States have exceeded its country-specific low-tariff quota on Japanese beef of 200 tons.
U.S. imports above the low-tariff quota are charged the full tariff of 26.4 percent, which possibly makes it difficult for Japanese exporters, including ZEN-NOH, to maintain strong export growth in Japanese beef exports to the U.S. market in past years.
The ZEN-NOH Group is now targeting other promising markets in European and Asian regions where demands for Wagyu beef are expected to further grow.
A higher increase in consumers’ demand for Japanese beef is forecasted in European countries not only because the Japanese food boom has been spreading through the region, but also consumers are increasingly prefer safety and security-oriented options there.
Last November, ZEN-NOH and Norinchukin Bank (Central Cooperative Bank for Agriculture and Forestry) acquired a UK food distributor.
ZEN-NOH plans to build a direct marketing system of Japanese beef in European countries after investigating consumer demand there through the UK distributor.
In the Asian region, consumers in emerging countries such as Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam are expected to grow their demands for Wagyu beef.