JAPAN – Iowa Pork Producers Continue Half-Century of Aid – June 23, 2011

JAPAN – The people of Iowa have a special connection with Japan dating back more than 50 years. When two typhoons devastated the Japanese prefecture of Yamanashi in 1959, Iowans stepped forward to help rebuild the region’s hog industry by donating 35 hogs and 1,500 tons of corn to feed them.

This spring after a destructive earthquake and tsunami rocked northeastern Japan, the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) once again stepped to the fore, contributing $100,000 to the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Relief and Recovery Effort designed to help those most in need by providing displaced people with a hot, nutritious meal containing US pork.

887 meals of US pork yakiniku (Korean style BBQ) were served to the evacuees

Evacuees line up for a hot meal of US pork

USMEF provided a packed house of IPPA members with an update last week on relief efforts in Japan funded by their contribution. John Hinners, USMEF’s assistant vice president of industry relations, told the gathering that IPPA contributions over the course of the spring and summer will provide hot meals for an estimated 30,000 people in the region most affected by the natural disaster.

The IPPA contributions are supporting a number of different activities throughout the Tohoku region, including several collaborative efforts with the Japanese Itoham Foods Company which will provide an estimated 8,200 meals. Similar collaborative efforts are being facilitated by USMEF with Takizawa Ham Company, restaurant chain Skylark, Minami Soma Schools and others. In one setting, USMEF partnered with Prima Ham and the 29ers non-profit organization to serve about 900 meals of US pork yakiniku (Korean-style barbecue) to evacuees in Iwate Prefecture who have been without hot meals with meat since the earthquake.

For three days in May, USMEF supported the distribution of 1,600 meals of ginger pork and pork miso soup to people at three junior high schools in Miyagi Prefecture. And earlier this month, Iowa Pork’s contribution provided 500 meals of steamed pork to evacuees at a shelter in Kesennuma through a non-profit organization established by prominent Japanese television personality Kuniaki Shimizu.

“As the nation’s leader in pork production, we are proud to contribute to this relief effort,” said Leon Sheets, IPPA president and a pork producer from Ionia, Iowa. “The Japanese love Iowa pork, and the island nation is both a long-time trading partner and our largest customer based on value. We firmly believe that it is incumbent upon Iowa’s pork producers to help those in need.”

IPPA is not the only American producer organization to offer its support to the people of Japan through the USMEF effort. National Pork Board also has committed $100,000, National Pork Producers Council donated $25,000, Minnesota Pork Producers Association has given $50,000, Indiana Pork has contributed $10,000 and Kentucky Pork Producers Association has given $1,000.

Cattlemen’s Beef Board and the Federation of State Beef Councils each have contributed $100,000 while the Washington Cattlemen’s Association auctioned off a heifer raising $18,000. In addition, individuals have contributed from $100 to $500 each.

Information ThePigSite News Desk

JAPAN – Toyota Launches Pig Manure Compost Deodoriser – June 20, 2011

JAPAN – Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has developed a deodoriser specifically for use on composting swine manure.

Toyota Roof Garden Co., Ltd., a TMC subsidiary, is manufacturing and distributing the product for its ‘resQ45’ series of manure-composting systems. Sales, starting today, are being conducted through the fertiliser sales routes of Toyota Tsusho Corporation.

In the development process, TMC collected compost samples from around Japan and selected microbes with the strongest deodorising effects, thereby creating a deodoriser with microbes that effectively break down malodorous components such as ammonia as well as butyric acid, propionic acid and other short-chain fatty acids – the sources of the offensive odour unique to swine manure – reducing them by up to 90 per cent. The deodoriser can also break down organic materials such as plant fibres that are slow to degrade, thus hastening the composting process.

In Japan, livestock generates about 90 million tons of manure annually, of which about 20 million tons is swine manure. Composting swine manure creates odours that can have a negative impact on residential areas, thus making the reduction of such odours unique to swine manure an important task.

Besides generating offensive odours, livestock manure can contaminate water supplies and exacerbate global warming, making it essential for livestock farmers to effectively use and appropriately process manure. To aid this process, in 2006 TMC and Aichi-Prefecture-based Menicon Co., Ltd. jointly developed and launched resQ45, which reduces the composting period from 90 days or more to about 45 days and reduces environmental impact.

The newly developed deodoriser will be sold in 9.5-kg bags with a recommended retail price of ¥5,500 per bag. (One bag is roughly appropriate for 10 cubic metres of manure.) TMC projects sales in Japan to reach 3,000 bags in fiscal 2011 and has set annual sales targets of 50,000 bags to be attained by fiscal 2015.

TMC is active in business areas that contribute to environmental preservation, with part of its biotechnology and afforestation businesses—through the development of green technologies—promoting the greening of buildings. Through these activities and through developing new businesses centred on biotechnologies and livestock biomass, TMC intends to continue developing livestock-related products that contribute to enriching the lives of communities and to developing a recycling-based society.

For more information on this product and its efficacy, click here.

Information ThePigSite News Desk

JAPAN – Thousands Served Through USMEF’s Japan Effort – May 25, 2011

JAPAN – Groups of displaced Japanese citizens ranging from several hundred to more than 10,000 were served meals of US beef and pork in recent weeks through the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Japan Relief and Recovery Effort.

Working with Japanese retail and food service industry partners, USMEF is continuing to provide welcome meals to as many people as possible who were left homeless by the 11 March earthquake and the following tsunami. Products provided for the meals range from diced US beef and pork served over rice to pork sausage and cooked peppered beef that require refrigeration, which are being provided to those who can enjoy fresh-cooked meals at their shelters.

The USMEF relief effort was joined recently by the Nebraska Beef Council, which donated $35,000, swelling the campaign coffers to $540,000.

“There are so many people who need and want our help, but the generosity of the producers in the USMEF network in the United States has enabled us to provide welcome meals to tens of thousands of displaced people,” said Susumu (Sam) Harada, USMEF-Japan senior director of trade projects and technical services. “The ‘thank-yous’ that we are hearing from people who have not had a meal with pork or beef in more than two months are heartfelt and sincere.”

In one of the biggest single relief efforts, USMEF is partnering with Japanese food industry giant Ito Ham to produce an estimated 20,000 servings of food that are being served to displaced residents in the heavily damaged prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima during the final weeks of May.

The Japanese restaurant chain Skylark has been serving an estimated 1,200 food servings per day in the city of Kesen-numa in Miyagi, which was virtually destroyed by the tsunami following the earthquake. USMEF is supplying US red meat to Skylark to assist in its efforts.

Working with the non-profit organization Bond & Justice and wholesaler Meat-Companion Company, Ltd., USMEF served an estimated 1,200 meals in Iwate and Fukushima last week.

Meat processor Hannan Foods Group and USMEF served much-welcomed hot meals to a group of about 200 senior citizens in Ishinomaki City, one of the areas most heavily damaged by the tsunami. Forced to live in a very tightly-packed shelter, the displaced seniors enjoyed their first meal containing meat since the natural disaster struck.

“The people thanked us for traveling so far from Tokyo to help them,” said Mr Harada.

Food service leader Yoshinoya teamed last week with long-time partner USMEF on distribution of frozen gyudon (rice bowl with beef or pork) in the city of Tome, which is located northeast of Sendai More than 900 people who were evacuated from the coastal areas are being housed in Tome, and USMEF and Yoshinoya worked together to serve an estimated 6,000 meals to those affected.

USMEF also is in final discussion stages with retail leader York Benimaru, which is headquartered in the city of Fukushima, to produce bento (lunch) box meals that would help the thousands of affected residents in that region.

“Sadly, the need will not end soon,” said Mr Harada. “Thousands of people in the coastal areas remain displaced. But the support of US producers is making it possible for us to give some welcome relief. The people we are helping are thankful that their friends in America have not forgotten them.”

Information ThePigSite News Desk

JAPAN – Livestock and Feed Production Resume – April 26, 2011

JAPAN – According to the latest estimate of the devastation resulting from the earthquake and tsunami, livestock, crops and animals with a value of US$84 million were lost. Despite animal welfare concerns over reduced output, feed manufacture is progressing using ingredients imported through undamaged ports.

US Grains Council reports that the Japanese government’s latest tally of earthquake and tsunami damage to the nation’s agricultural sector includes:

• More than 59,000 acres in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures were flooded and may be polluted with high levels of salt.
• Total farmland losses across 16 prefectures valued at US$3.39 billion, and facility and equipment losses valued at $2.47 billion.
• Losses of livestock facilities, crops and animals estimated at $84 million as of 11 April.
• Significant condition problems among surviving livestock in affected areas, due to disruption of normal feeding.

On a more positive note, the six feed mills in Hachinohe are expected to produce their normal varieties of compound feed, beginning this week, and breakwaters at Hachinohe port are being repaired and the port draft is being restored to 13 metres (42.6 feet).

The US Grains Council’s Tokyo office also reports that the first panamax grain vessel is scheduled to berth at Kashima port within the next few days, and that Kashima’s 12 feed millers produced more than 32,000 metric tons of compound feed in March despite the earthquake.

Three Kashima facilities produced more feed this March than in 2010 to help cover demand in the Tohoku area.

Japan’s southern grain ports were not affected by the earthquake and tsunami and have been able to compensate for the closures at northern ports. Similarly, Japanese feed manufacturers have increased production at unaffected mills to maintain feed supplies.

As of 7 April, Japan’s purchases of US corn (year-to-date sales plus outstanding purchases) totalled 10.6 million metric tons (mmt; 418.8 million bushels), an 1.5 per cent increase from the 10.5mmt (412.5 million bushels) purchased at the same time last year.

Information ThePigSite News Desk

JAPAN – Japan’s Compound Feed and Livestock Production – April 18, 2011

JAPAN – Since the earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck Japan on 11 March, surrounding Japanese feed millers have stepped up to fulfill the demand in the affected area, the US Grains Council’s Tokyo office reports.

“With the flow of compound feed from outside areas, combined with feed produced in some of the mills in the Tohoku area which were capable of working, livestock farms in the Tohoku area could get roughly half of its normal demand during the month since the earthquake,” said Hiroko Sakashita, USGC associate director in Japan.

While livestock in the Tohoku area are on a significantly reduced feed ration, a livestock expert informed the Council that animals will survive but will experience some growth reductions. Once feed supplies recommence, producers will resume normal feed rations for production and shipment and animals will mature.

“We have not heard devastating reports in regards to animal losses at large cattle, swine and chicken farms,” reported Ms Sakashita. “The livestock population in the whole country was not significantly impacted. Therefore there will be no significant reductions in feed demand.”

This takes into consideration the livestock operations that were forced to evacuate due to their proximity of the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

“The animal population within a 20 kilometer (13 mile) radius of the power plant was not significant to the total Tohoku area,” she said.

Transportation costs and power outages remain a concern for feed millers in the mid to long term. Ports are recovering but it is not clear when a Panamax-size vessel will be accepted into the affected area.

Japanese feed manufacturers submitted a letter of request to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, which administers the ports, in an effort to secure a stable supply of compound feed and feed ingredients. The appeal included radioactivity declaration of safety of those ports and early accessibility recovery for Panamax-size vessels.

For mills in Kashima, which account for 15 per cent of Japan’s total compound feed production, some have recovered in volume of production and shipment to the level of before the earthquake, with reduced variety of compound. As a whole, all feed mills in Kashima expect to resume full production in the latter part of April or beginning of May.

Information ThePigSite News Desk

GLOBAL – Feed Price Jump Impacts Pig Producers – April 04, 2011

GLOBAL – Pig producers across Europe continue to be severely hampered by high feed costs, according to David Owens from the Meat Division at Bord Bia.

Tensions in the Middle East and the earthquake in Japan have resulted in extreme movements in cereal markets in recent weeks.

Uncertainty in the market has seen LIFFE prices in the UK for feed wheat falling from a peak of £210/tn in early February to £167/tn in mid March, before rising back to £197/tn last week.

This week’s USDA acreage report suggests that US farmers intend to plant 5 per cent more acres of corn this year, which would be the second-largest planting since World War II. Growers also plan to plant 8 per cent more wheat with reduced plantings of soybeans expected in order to make room for corn and wheat.

The USDA said stocks of corn around the country have dropped 15 per cent from a year ago. Futures prices for wheat and corn at the Chicago Board of Trade were up by around 5 per cent this week with May futures contract for corn up by 30 cents to $6.93 a bushel.

Despite a rise in pig prices across Europe in recent weeks, Irish pig producers remain in a loss making situation. The latest Teagasc figures for March show that pig feed costs in Ireland have increased by 27 per cent in the past year, and while pig prices are higher they are insufficient to cover costs.

The pig meat storage scheme introduced in late January by the EU Commission had 144,000 tonnes in applications, with the bulk of this product coming from Germany, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands.

The introduction of this scheme has been crucial for the rise in prices across Europe, as overall consumer demand within the EU has been subdued.

Outside of the EU, the decline in the North American pig herd has slowed down, with producer prices expected to hit record levels in 2011. With a decline in US supplies and strong prices, EU product is more competitive on International markets. Asia in particular has seen strong demand for pigmeat imports this year.

With moderate growth in domestic pork production and high domestic pork prices, China’s pork imports are forecast to increase this year by 15 per cent to almost 500,000 tonnes.

In South Korea, the removal of close to a third of their domestic herd due to FMD has led to a rise in imports this year, while Japan has also seen a pickup in demand.

Information ThePigSite News Desk

JAPAN – An Eye on Recovery Efforts and Feed Grain Trade –

JAPAN – The US Grains Council reports the Japanese industry has been making significant strides to regain its normal feed mill production capacity within the next few months.

“Assuming significant escalation of the nuclear power plant issues will not arise and in spite of the horrendous losses suffered in Japan, the Council believes the consumer demand in Japan will remain strong and will drive continued imports of US coarse grains,” said Tommy Hamamoto, USGC director in Japan. “In the short-term, logistical issues will continue to be a problem, but the Japanese feed industry is working hard to recover from the damage. By April or May, the Council is hopeful Japan will recover and return to a somewhat normalcy.”

As previously reported by the Council, four of Japan’s major importing facilities and attached feed mills were severely damaged by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Japan on 11 March. These four facilities account for approximately 3.66 million metric tons of compound feed production per year – around 15 per cent of Japan’s total annual compound feed production of 25 million tons. Another mill, which accounts for an additional 15 per cent, suffered some damage but compound feed production has already partially resumed.

“Japan is prepared to cover the feed loss by facilities coming back online and increased production in unaffected mills. These [unaffected] mills are sending feed supplies in small vessels to affected areas,” Hamamoto said. “There are currently bottlenecks: the capacity of unaffected ports to unload redirected shipments and storage limitations; impeded passage of ships through channels caused by debris in shipping lanes; increased transportation costs, fuel supplies and shortage of trucks and ships; and power needed for production and processing. The Council hopes those serious bottlenecks will be short-term setbacks in the recovery efforts.”

The Council has heard reports of limited loss of animal herds or flocks.

“Since the majority of livestock and poultry farms are located near Japan’s mountain side (west side of Japan), minimal animal loss is expected from the tsunami. However, logistics of fuels, feed and products continue to be a problem for those farms,” said Hiroko Sakashita, USGC associate director in Japan, adding the Council anticipates knowing the total impact in a few weeks. “In addition, some animal production was affected as facilities had to be evacuated due to elevated radiation levels. This market may further be affected by negative perceptions and false information on their products.”

Exposure to radiation will remain a longer term concern. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries released a notice alerting livestock farmers to be cautious and not to feed radioactive-material-contaminated hay, roughage, silage and water to livestock. It recommends that farmers keep their animals indoors if possible. According to Council sources, feed millers in Hokkaido, Chukyo, Kansai and Kyushu have been working around the clock to ensure that sufficient supply of animal feed is available in the damaged area.

“The Council is searching for the best opportunity to get involved with the relief efforts in Japan. Mostly what we hear is to wait, since much of the relief is being provided by the Japanese government,” Hamamoto said. “The Council will continue to monitor the recovery efforts and determine how to best utilize our resources and assets to help mitigate long term damage.”

Information ThePigSite News Desk

JAPAN – US Pork Producers Assist Japanese Residents

JAPAN – US pork producers are partnering with the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) to provide pork for victims of the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern sections of Japan on 11 March.

Estimates are that more than a half million Japanese residents are without adequate food and shelter. Food shortages are expected to last into the summer months.

On behalf of US pork producers and importers, the National Pork Board has allocated $100,000 from the Pork Checkoff to provide pork product and to help get it distributed to those in need in Japan, said Conley Nelson, a pork producer from Iowa and a member of the National Pork Board. USMEF, which represents the US meat industry in Japan from its office in Tokyo, will work with US pork packers and others who have established distribution networks in Japan to make sure the food gets to those who need it.

The goal of the outreach programme is to ensure that food requiring little or no preparation – such as pre-made bento (lunch) boxes – can be provided to people who have been displaced.

“Our hearts go out to the Japanese people who have suffered from this terrible natural disaster,” said Mr Nelson. “The United States has named its relief efforts in Japan Operation Tomodachi, or Operation Friendship. In the spirit of friendship, US pork producers are pleased that we can become a small part of the effort to help alleviate the suffering of those affected by the earthquake.”

The United States and Japan have a long-standing relationship involving pigs and pork. The Pork Checkoff has promoted pork in Japan for many years and has built a loyal customer base. In recent years, Japan has been the top export customer for US Pork. In 2010, Japan purchased $1.6 billion of US Pork. “It is natural that we would continue to provide these great customers with high quality US Pork in their time of need,” Mr Nelson said.

Just over 50 years ago, the Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan was hit by two typhoons and lost much of its agricultural infrastructure in the disaster. A US Air Force sergeant from Iowa, who was serving in Tokyo at the time, worked with the US embassy in Tokyo to arrange for some Iowa hogs to be sent to Japan to help the Japanese rebuild their hog industry. To this day, much of the pork raised in Japan has genetic links to those Iowa pigs. Last summer, several Iowa pork producers were part of a group that visited Japan to celebrate the 50th anniversary of what has become known as the Iowa Hog Lift.

“As an American pork producer, I am proud that US pork producers and importers through the National Pork Board are the first to step forward and provide seed money for this critical initiative,” said Danita Rodibaugh, chair-elect of USMEF and a pork producer from Rensselaer, Indiana. “We are hopeful that others will join us and offer their support for the people of Japan who have been great friends of US agriculture.”

The National Pork Board is encouraging others in the pork industry to match their contribution and expand the reach of this effort. Those interested in participating either through pork product donations or monetary donations, may contact Jim Herlihy at USMEF.

Information ThePigSite News Desk

JAPAN – Wild birds are reported to have died of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) at two location across the country.

The authorities sent Follow Up Report No. 2 dated 19 January to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

It reports the deaths of wild birds at two locations. The first were five hooded cranes (Grus monacha) on 18 Decenber at Izumi Crane Park in Kagoshima prefecture on the southern tip of Kyushu Island. And on 4 January, two tufted ducks ( Aythya fuligula) were found dead at Toyoda-cho water purification facility at Koriyama city in Fukushima prefecture, which is in the east of Honshu Island.

The presence of H5N1 sub-type of the HPAI virus has been confirmed in each case.

Information from the PoultrySite

Malaysia: Nuinfra Mutiara to start exports in 2010

Nuinfra Mutiara Feedmill, a Malaysian feedmiller that produces cattle, goat and fish feeds plans on embarking on exports to Australia, Japan and South Korea next month. Its current 3 tonne/day output is channeled solely to the domestic market. Nuinfra plans on add a new processing machine next year and its prducts are marketed under the Mutiara label.The company also has a feed processing plant in Jakarta which has a production capacity of 250 tonnes a month