Rugby helps highlight NZ meat in Japan

MEAT AND GREET: Meat & Wool New Zealand Japan representative John Hundleby (left) and Meat & Wool New Zealand chairman Mike Petersen (right), with a San A supermarket chain employee in Okinawa in front of the joint-venture promotion for New Zealand grass-fed beef.

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Sales of New Zealand grass-fed beef and lamb meat are expected to increase in Japan after a boost in the country's profile.

Meat & Wool New Zealand chairman Mike Petersen said the spotlight had been turned on New Zealand thanks to the Bledisloe Cup match in Tokyo and a business forum involving Prime Minister John Key, senior ministers and New Zealand industry leaders.

Mr Petersen attended the Japan-New Zealand Partnership Forum and other industry meetings, which helped build partnerships.

"The underlying theme of food safety and security was at the forefront of discussions and continues to dominate Asia, with forecasts of global population reaching 9.5 billion people by 2050."

There was wide recognition that New Zealand farmers were in a strong position to capitalise on those opportunities, with global demand for food set to increase dramatically because of rising populations and strong income growth in Asia, he said. Japan was primarily a grain-fed beef market but certain groups were more receptive to the health qualities of New Zealand grass-fed product, Mr Petersen said. "There is strong support among a number of key retail and food service outlets for New Zealand grass-fed beef, with the single biggest retail user of chilled grass-fed beef in Japan being one of the two largest supermarket chains in Okinawa."

Japan was New Zealand's second largest beef export market by value and fourth largest by volume.

In the 2008-09 production year, New Zealand exported 28,873 tonnes of chilled and frozen beef, worth $190.4 million, to Japan.

Okinawa was a key niche market in Japan for New Zealand grass-fed beef. It is estimated that New Zealand has about a 30 per cent share of the imported beef market in Okinawa, compared with total market share in Japan of 7 per cent.

Although not among the leading export destinations for New Zealand sheepmeat, Japan was the 10th-largest market by value, with 8278 tonnes exported during 2008-09 season – worth about $60 million.

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