Japan’s farm product exports hit record 907 billion yen in 2018

TOKYO, Feb. 9 ― Japan’s food exports rose for the sixth consecutive year of growth, breaking the 900 billion yen barrier for the first time in its history, preliminary data has showed. Total shipments of agriculture products, processed foods and seafood rose 12% to 906.8 billion yen in 2018 from a year earlier, thanks to largely to appetite for wagyu beef and fruits in neighboring Asian countries, the agriculture ministry said. The data suggests that a target of 1 trillion yen of farm exports in 2019 is achievable, if an annual growth rate grows 10.3% this year. The primary agricultural products, which constitute half of total agricultural exports, increased 14% … Continue reading

Posted in Farm Policy, Food & Agriculture | Comments Off on Japan’s farm product exports hit record 907 billion yen in 2018

【Research】The Situation surrounding Japan’s wholesale markets of farm products focusing an issue of their public nature

June 22nd, 2018 Norinchukin Research Institute Co., Ltd. ICHINOSE Yuichiro, Senior Economist ■Abstract Wholesale markets in Japan have a history of nearly 100 years since the Central Wholesale Market Act was enacted in 1923. During this period, amendments of the Act were made several times, including a change to the Wholesale Market Act in 1971, to make the Act adjust to the existing state of the wholesale markets. These are considered as amendments of the existing state-ratification type, aiming at introducing flexibility into regulations on transaction methods and others. Contents of the latest amendment of the Wholesale Market Act, which was made in 2018, are mostly based on the “Recommendations … Continue reading

Posted in Research | Comments Off on 【Research】The Situation surrounding Japan’s wholesale markets of farm products focusing an issue of their public nature

Japanese farmers and food makers gather to boost exports

TOKYO, March. 17 ― Japan’s agriculture ministry has held a conference, which brought together 150 farmers and food makers across the country to discuss how to find markets to export their products. The conference, which was taken place on March 16 in Tokyo, was broadcasted live on Niconico Live to about 150 online viewers, according to the ministry. The move was part of the Global Farmers Project (GFP), the agriculture ministry’s initiatives to help farmers to become entrepreneurs seeking export business opportunity, as the government aims to boost farm exports as well as farmers’ incomes. The GFP was launched in August 2018 and has now 1,011 registered members. The main … Continue reading

Posted in Farm Policy, Food & Agriculture | Comments Off on Japanese farmers and food makers gather to boost exports

Without US, TPP beef exporters enjoy trade deal boost in Japan

TOKYO, Feb. 8 ― Japan’s beef imports soared 60 percent in January, one month after the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) without the U.S., known as TPP-11, began, illustrating meat exporters enjoy the landmark trade deal in the Japanese market. According to the finance ministry, beef imports amounted to 32,885 metric tons in January, compared with 11,733 metric tons in the same month a year earlier. A sharp increase came from Canada and New Zealand. The January figure was up 55 percent from 21, 152 metric tons in the previous month, just before the TPP-11 came into effect on Dec. 30, 2018. Under the TPP-11, one immediate effect was to slash Japanese … Continue reading

Posted in Farm Policy, Trade Talks | Comments Off on Without US, TPP beef exporters enjoy trade deal boost in Japan

Japan’s dairy makers to raise prices in April due to rising costs

TOKYO, Feb. 6 ― Japan’s major dairy makers will raise prices for their products for the first time in four years, with effect from April 1, due to a planned increase in prices for raw milk purchased from dairy farmers, as raw milk output has continued to drop. The dairy product makers also attributed the price hikes to rising costs for packaging materials and labor. Morinaga Milk Industry Co. announced on Feb. 5 that it will introduce new prices in 45 products such as milk, yogurt and other dairy products, in which the retail prices will rise between 3 and 8.3 percent. Meiji Co. also said it will raise prices, … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture, Others | Comments Off on Japan’s dairy makers to raise prices in April due to rising costs