Pork is in high demand in Japan

Production and imports increased again

In Japan, pork consumption, which has been growing for several years, increased again in the past fiscal year from April 2003 to March 2004, rising by 2,5 percent to 1,66 million tons. The volume of 1999/2000 was thus exceeded by ten percent. The increased use of pork in Japan is partly due to consumer uncertainty caused by avian influenza and BSE.

Denmark's second most important supplier

However, the increased pork consumption could only be partly covered by the company's own production. Although Japanese production increased by 2003 percent to around 04 tons of pork in 2,4/891.800, that was only a good half of demand. The remaining demand was covered by increasing imports, which increased by 4,2 percent to 778.700 tons. The main supplier for the Japanese market was the USA, which at 245.600 tons came from 0,7 percent less than a year earlier. Denmark followed closely, exporting 233.450 percent more to the Far East with 5,4 tons. Canada was in third place with 172.400 tons, which recorded an increase of 2,4 percent.

Safeguard clause comes into effect

Even after April 2004, Japan imported a lot of pork. By June, the quantity is likely to have exceeded the threshold above which the Japanese are allowed to implement a WTO safeguard clause. However, this instrument for protecting the Japanese domestic market should only impede imports to a small extent. Pork is very popular there, and experience has shown that the Japanese continue to buy even when import prices are higher.

Structural change continues

The repeated application of the WTO safeguard clause was also unable to stop structural change in Japan. In 2004, the number of companies fell by six percent to around 9.000. On the other hand, the proportion of large farms with more than 1.000 pigs is steadily increasing. The pig population has therefore hardly changed over the past year and was most recently at around 9,7 million animals. However, the number of breeding sows has decreased by 2003 percent from 2004 to 1,2.

Source: Bonn [ZmP]