Nebraska ag delegation visits Japan

An agricultural delegation from Nebraska is concluding a visit to Japan.

Representatives of several Nebraska farm and commodity groups were part of the group, which was led by Nebraska Farm Bureau president Keith Olsen. Olsen says Japan is a very important market for Nebraska farmers.

“We ship a lot of corn here—some wheat—and we move a lot of meat, both pork and beef,” Olsen says, “and we were in a couple of supermarkets yesterday and did get to see Nebraska beef and Nebraska pork.”

As for the issues surrounding U.S. beef exports into Japan, Olsen says nothing much has changed.

“What they have said here—and what we’ve known for some time—is that it’s a political issue,” Olsen says, “Not so much a beef safety issue—just boiling down to a political issue.”

The trip was part of the U.S. Embassy’s “Partners in Agriculture” series.  It included an event to celebrate the Japanese Agricultural Exchange Program.  That program has brought more than 350 Japanese to Nebraska since 1952 to learn about the state’s farming practices.

AUDIO: Keith Olsen (8 min MP3)