Japan’s meat imports break record in 2017 on rising demand

TOKYO, Jan. 31 — Japan’s meat imports broke the 2 million metric ton barrier last year for the first time since records began in 1991, with flat domestic production leading to strong import demand, data from the finance ministry shows. Japanese imports of red meat and poultry totaled 2.07 million metric tons in 2017, exceeding the previous record of 1.94 million metric tons in 2000. Domestic pork production has been slowly recovering following the 2014 outbreaks of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), leading to increased pork imports and intensifying competition especially in the chilled market. PED is a viral disease that has a high fatality rate for infected piglets. “The PED … Continue reading

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Japanese firms with UK base should prepare for Brexit: expert

TOKYO, Feb. 2 — Japan’s food exports to Europe as well as Japanese food makers who have their European base in the UK should prepare for Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, an international lawyer has warned. Japan’s agriculture ministry organized a seminar on Feb. 1 in Tokyo to discuss what may be the economic impact of Brexit on Japanese food exports and Japanese food companies. According to the British embassy in Tokyo, there are around 1,000 Japanese companies in the UK. Many Japanese companies have made the UK as their European base because its EU membership provides tariff-free trade and regulatory aliment with the EU market. Now, they are … Continue reading

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ICA focus on sustainability for international cooperatives’ day

TOKYO, Feb. 3 — The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), the apex global cooperatives’ body, has said this year’s International Day of Cooperatives will be themed “sustainable consumption and production”. The day, celebrated annually to raise awareness of cooperatives, is held on the first Saturday of July. This year it falls on July 7. “We believe that co-operatives are an important and efficient instrument to fight poverty,” said ICA President Ariel Guarco at the UN headquarters in New York. “Cooperatives bring people together in a democratic and equal way. They allow people to take control of their economic future and the economic and social benefits of their activity stay in the … Continue reading

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Japan farmers’ group aims at Hong Kong as Asian export hub

TOKYO, Jan. 30 — Japan’s largest farmers’ group is to set up a subsidiary in Hong Kong in March, aiming to make it an Asian hub for Japanese farm and food exports. The National Federation of Agriculture Cooperative Associations (ZEN-NOH), the marketing arm of JA group, said on Jan. 29 that the Hong Kong unit will be under its subsidiary ZEN-NOH International that deals with exports. Hong Kong is the top destination for Japanese food. In 2016, Japan exported food produce worth 185.3 billion yen to Hong Kong, accounting for a quarter of the nation’s total food exports. Meanwhile, JA group has projected 3.5 billion yen of its food exports … Continue reading

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Japan to invest to prolong expiration date of prepackaged rice

TOKYO, Jan. 19 — Japan’s agriculture ministry will provide financial support to innovative projects that will double an expiration date of prepackaged rice to more than one year. The announcement for funding the sector’s research and development was made as part of the government’s pledge to boost Japanese food exports. It aims to solve problems as increasing use of sanitary, phytosanitary and technical procedures at borders takes several months and shortens overseas sales period, representing barriers for exports of Japanese-grown rice. Food makers in Nigata prefecture and other major rice producing areas in Japan have developed prepackaged rice, but they found it difficult to develop new technologies which can help … Continue reading

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