The Japanese market is changing from fish to red meat
Japanese consumers are changing their diets from fish to red meat due to a Western influence over the young generation and that it's an opportunity that US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) does not want to miss it.
A delegation comprising producers of pork and beef is exploring the Japanese market and USMEF's marketing activities in this country in order to make US meat more accessible to Japanese consumers, reports National Hog Farmer magazine.
"The primary purpose is to show our group the export market potential in Japan and how USMEF works with trade in Japan here to develop the international mark potential. Being our largest market and despite some of the challenges, especially on the pork side, the numbers continue to look very, very good in Japan and we are very happy about that," says Dan Halstrom, USMEF president and CEO.
Meat exports have already been challenged in different markets due to tariffs imposed as retaliation measures in trade wars opened between the US and several countries around the globe. Still, Japan looks more like a promising market for US meat products. In 2017, the country was a $1.6 billion market for pork and year-to-date, Japan is 2% ahead of last year’s pace in value.
"You have a younger generation here in Japan that is eating less fish and more red meat which really opens up a great opportunity for us. We are also seeing the more we can get in front of this younger generation in Japan, the more we are opening their eyes to what U.S. red meat is all about which is pretty exciting to see", declared Conley Nelson, general manager of Smithfield Foods’ hog production division in the company’s five-state Midwest region and USMEF chair-elect.
Also, two months ago, Japan has granted access to US lamb and USMEF representatives in the Asian country are hoping to deliver these products high-end hotel and high-end foodservice. "The Japanese lamb market is about 15,000 metric tons per year, so compared to pork and beef, the lamb market is relatively small. Also, the lamb market in Japan is dominated by Australia and New Zealand, mostly Australia. So I think U.S. lamb will make a bigger lamb market in Japan. Also, U.S. lamb is totally different in the quality. U.S. lamb is very high quality, so I think our target in Japan is the high-end hotel and high-end foodservice, that is our main target,", explained Takemichi Yamashoji, USMEF Japan Director.
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