Japanese Food Market Grows

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31598, 8 February 1968, Page 22

Japanese Food Market Grows

(N.Z. Press Association) NELSON, Feb. 7. When is ham not ham? When it is New Zealand mutton. Sound odd? It may be here, but not in Japan. The New Zealand Ambassador to Japan (Mr J. V. Scott) said while on a private visit to Nelson yesterday that 90 per cent of mutton sold to Japan was processed into sausage meat and ham. “They texture and colour it until it’s quite indistinguishable in taste and appearance from the real thing,” Mr Scott said. Last year New Zealand sold Japan 70,000 tons of mutton. Prospects for increased sales of mutton, and also of lamb, were very good.

Total exports there were worth $B5 million to New Zealand last year. “Our trade with Japan is increasing quite rapidly and I feel sure that it is our best potential overseas market. “They have a population of 100 million, which is quite a large appetite to satisfy. Their standard of living is nearing Britain’s, and the people are becoming more inclined to Western food. “The Japanese are very protein conscious; and more meat and dairy products are being imported as a result. Rice and fish is still the staple diet for the bulk of people, but in the schools there is great emphasis on more protein-rich foods,” Mr Scott said. While this year looked to be as’ good for New Zealand exporters as 1967, stiffer competition could be expected

from Europe and America. Though mutton had a good market, the Japanese were not yet accustomed to eating lamb. They had few ovens, so emphasis on sales promotion would be largely educational. “The conditions are good for the sale of mutton and lamb, as the price for other meats is quite high," he said. “It may take two or three years of promotion to sell lamb well, but once we can create a consumer and importer demand we should go quite well.” There was also a tremendous demand in Japan for all marine foods.

“I am rather optimistic that if the fishing industry can forge ahead then the prospects of sales in Japan are promising.” Cheese had a healthy market in Japan and sales were

steadily rising. Last year butter sales there totalled 8000 tons, which was considerable considering that three years ago New Zealand had difficulty in selling 100 tons there. A number of factors were against increased butter sales. Competition from margarine was growing—it was about half the price of butter —and there was also a rigid quota control on butter imports. Milk powders, casein and timber had growing markets and—once again—the prospects held promise.