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Strong demand for U.S. corn in Japan

A U.S. Grains Council official says Japanese imports of U.S. corn reached 100 percent market share this June for the first time in five years.

Japanese Director Tommy Hamamoto tells Brownfield a typhoon devastated the country’s hog industry more than 50 years ago and when U.S. farmers exported pigs, it changed livestock production for Japan.  “They sent corn with the pigs, so that’s the beginning of the Japanese hog industry and the livestock industry started to use corn.”  He says demand for U.S. corn has continued to grow to about 15 million metric tons today.

Hamamoto says the population of Japan is declining and becoming older, but demand of protein is expected to grow.  “Japanese people are really health conscious, I’m not sure if they are more health conscious than the American people, but they like value-added lean meat or more dietary fiber.”   He says a lot of people are watching what’s happening in the United States on labeling, but he believes mainstream consumers will continue to accept biotech food.

Hamamoto spoke with Brownfield during the recent Export Exchange in Detroit, Michigan.

AUDIO: Interview with Tommy Hamamoto