Japan has announced that it will be investing JPY1.2bn (US$) out of the JPY115.5tn (US$) budget approved for FY2025 into the modernisation and reorganisation of the local meat industry, including the formation of a national consortium to manage this.
“In order to improve the distribution structure of the meat industry and further improve productivity for export expansion, we will be supporting necessary efforts and developments towards the reorganisation and rationalisation of the entire sector,” Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said via a formal statement on Budget 2025.
“This will include the reorganisation of the meat supply chain, covering meat processing facilities, livestock markets, meat trading and so on – all of these will be covered under the formation of a consortium that will comprise livestock farmers, meat processors and meat distribution companies.
“The investments will also go towards the modernisation of facilities and machinery in these facilities, particularly in meat processing plants.”
A major target of this consortium will be to increase yields to meet Japan’s 2030 export goals and this will also require technological and equipment modernisation, which has also been included in the budgeting.
“In order to meet export needs, the government is well aware that more advanced machinery investment is required,” the ministry added.
“As such, we will also be supporting the development and/or purchasing of more advanced processing equipment and labour-saving equipment at meat processing facilities to increase productivity, as well as the outsourcing of some processing functions.
“A trends analysis project on meat supply and demand will also be commissioned, in anticipation of a stable domestic supply – this will cover both domestic and international markets, in order to survey potential future supply and demand structures and plan further development.”
Protecting the disadvantaged
Improving meat distribution will also help to ensure that consumers in all districts across Japan will have improved access to necessary food products, a goal that also falls into another area of Budget 2025.
“We are also investing JPY244mn (US$) into ensuring food access for consumers who are economically disadvantaged or have difficulty shopping,” said MAFF.
“This includes supporting the creation of a system where local governments, food businesses, and local stakeholders (e.g. food banks, children’s cafeterias) can work together to provide food to these consumers.
“This system will enable the improvement of the quality and quantity of food provided, as well as the creation of a logistics system for last-mile delivery.
“Amongst the measures planned include the dispatching of experts to manage the handling of unconsumed food that has already been donated by food companies to charitable organisations to ensure these do not go to waste, as well as to systematically establish more such organisations to be the disseminators of accessible food throughout the country.”
