Cheese-selling campaign

Press, 21 February 1978, Page 6

Cheese-selling campaign

PA Wellington! The Dairy Board yesterday’ began to entertain a group of 30 Japanese wholesalers and retailers whom it hopes to persuade that New Zealand cheese will suit the* Japanese palate. The party leader. Mr H Ohki. of the Furniya Company. Ltd one of Japan’s p ncinal wholesale gioups, s'-id that a first sampling of •• v Zealand cheese was

The board said the change: of life-style now being feltj. throughout Japan was lead-l ing the population to include' more Western-type foods in its diet. The change was most evi-i dent among the younger, generation and was emphasised by the rapid growth of, the "fast-food” trade. The processed cheese market was growing at 4 toj, 5 per cent a year, and the, market for natural cheese! was expanding by 30 per centj a year, the board said. i

The board said that though Japan’s milk product con- : sumption was comparatively low it had become a market of major importance to the New Zealand dairy industry. In 1976. Japan imported 55,000 tonnes of natural cheese, of which 43,000 ! tonnes was estimated to have been used for processing. The Japanese party will, meet board executives, visit' I the New Zealand Dairy Rei search Institute, and visit! dairy farms. I