Tokyo Report: Farm Product Export Push across Japan

Tokyo, July 6 (Jiji Press)--Agricultural cooperatives and local
governments across Japan are stepping up efforts to export homegrown farm
products, hoping to take advantage of growing demand overseas.

Last December, the Fukuoka prefectural government jointly founded a
trading house with agricultural cooperatives in the southwestern Japan
prefecture to promote exports of locally produced agricultural products and
establish their brands in overseas markets.
The company currently exports strawberries under the "Amao" brand
to Hong Kong and hopes to increase its product lineup and export
destinations.
Agricultural produce of irregular size, which tends to be shunned
by Japanese consumers, often finds buyers in overseas markets.
For example, an agricultural cooperative in Obihiro, in the
northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, is shipping large "nagaimo" to Taiwan,
where the Japanese yam is in strong demand as an ingredient for Chinese
cooking.
Katayama Ringo Co., an apple producer in Hirosaki, Aomori
Prefecture, began exporting its products to Europe in 1999 after apple
prices in Japan plunged. "We sent them (apples) overseas almost out of
desperation," recalls Yutaka Yamano, a company executive.
The company received a favorable response from a British importer
and began shipments. The apples now attract strong demand in European
countries.
The Japanese government decided to boost exports of farm products
in 2004 against the background of growing liberalization in agricultural
trade. Exports of agricultural and marine products, including processed
ones, increased more than 10 pct a year before slipping 0.6 pct in 2008 to
431.2 billion yen amid the global financial crisis.
Overseas demand for farm products from Japan reflects the increased
popularity of Japanese food and consumer concerns about food safety. The
target destinations are now shifting from North America and Asia to emerging
economies.
The government provides strong support for exports, targeting
annual overseas shipments of one trillion yen by 2013. For example, the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries promotes Japanese farm
products at trade fairs around the world.
Exports of farm products are also supported by the Japan External
Trade Organization. Since January, a new section has been exploring markets,
especially in Russia, the Middle East and other emerging economies.
In February, JETRO sent a mission to Dubai in the United Arab
Emirates for market research. It found strong demand for Japanese food
products, especially among affluent people, despite the slowdown in the
local economy.
Noting that Japanese food products are widely regarded as safe, a
JETRO official predicted that the Middle East and Russia will become
"attractive markets."