- The subject this time is fresh (including refrigerated) and frozen vegetables for meals. The main types of fresh vegetable are onions, cabbages, broccoli, carrots, turnips, asparagus, pumpkins and the like, while frozen vegetables are usually things such as potatoes, spinach and sweet corn,etc. The difference between refrigerated and frozen vegetables is that refrigerated vegetables are normally preserved by chilling them to a temperature near 0oC in order to keep them fresh, while frozen vegetables are peeled, cut, softened (blanched), etc. beforehand and rapidly frozen to a temperature below -18oC and includes uncooked vegetables, steamed and boiled vegetables, and vegetables that have been prepared using sugar, fat or oil, etc.
- Due to the fall in import prices with the appreciation of the yen, the aging and decline in number of agricultural workers, and unseasonable weather, Japanese imports of fresh and frozen vegetables have increased in recent years. Imported vegetables can be broadly divided into four categories: a) vegetables that compete with domestic products, b) vegetables imported when there is a poor harvest in Japan, c) vegetables imported during the off- season in Japan, and d) vegetables that are hardly produced in Japan.
- The main types of fresh vegetables imported are onions, pumpkins, cabbages and broccoli. As diets have grown more varied in recent years, less familiar kinds of vegetables have also come to be imported, though in smaller quantities, including types of onion such as chicory, shallots and leeks, beets and salsifis for salads. A further reason for the growth in imports is that discount stores, restaurant chains and the like have begun importing fresh vegetables in order to ensure stable supplies. A typical example of this is McDonald's.
- Driven by growth in potatoes and spinach, imports of frozen vegetables are increasing. This is due largely to the strong yen bringing down the price of imports, and increased demand from the food service industry, such as fast food and family restaurant chains. Nevertheless, the increasing use of large refrigerators and microwave ovens in the home has also played a part.
- The Japanese fresh vegetable market breaks down like this:
|
1994 |
1997 |
Domestic production
|
14,546 (86.2%)
|
14,615 (85.6%)
|
| Imports |
2,331 (13.8%) |
2,464 (14.4%) |
| Exports |
0 |
1 ( 0%) |
| Total |
16,877 (100%) |
17,080 (100%) |
(Unit: tons; Source: Foodstuff Supply and Demand Statistics)
The makeup of the market for frozen vegetables in Japan is as follows:
|
1994 |
1997 |
Domestic production
|
109,955 (19.3%)
|
86,397 (11.8%) |
| Imports |
458,956 (80.6%) |
646,472 (88.1%)
|
| Exports |
760 ( 0.1%) |
378 (0.1%) |
| Total |
569,671 (100%) |
733,247 (100%) |
(Unit: tons; Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Food Distribution Bureau)
- Trends in imports of fresh and frozen vegetables have been as follows:
|
1994 |
1996 |
1998 |
| Fresh vegetables |
65,814 |
66,192 |
90,456 |
| Onions |
9,733 |
8,175 |
9,767 |
| Cabbage/broccoli |
14,034 |
14,189 |
19,075 |
| Carrots/turnips |
1,217 |
2,042 |
2,643 |
| Asparagus |
11,468 |
12,336 |
11,022 |
| Pumpkins |
11,276 |
11,463 |
11,853 |
| Others |
60,785 |
17,986 |
36,097 |
Frozen vegetables
|
51,165 |
77,114 |
105,711 |
| Potatoes |
18,815 |
26,466 |
35,230 |
| Spinach |
1,904 |
2,733 |
5,683 |
| Sweet corn |
5,724 |
6,382 |
8,134 |
| Mixed vegetables |
3,454 |
4,677 |
21,268 |
| Others |
6,970 |
36,855 |
49,693 |
| Total |
116,979 |
143,305 |
196,167 |
(Unit: million yen; Source: Japan Trade Monthly)
- The main sources of imports over the past few years have been as follows:
- Fresh vegetables
|
1994 |
1996 |
1998 |
| U.S.A. |
25,441 |
22,937 |
26,293 |
| China |
5,943 |
8,243 |
22,881 |
| New Zealand |
8,689 |
9,304 |
11,179 |
| Mexico |
5,336 |
5,763 |
5,758 |
| Australia |
3,405 |
4,523 |
5,249 |
Other countries
|
17,000 |
15,421 |
19,097 |
| Total |
65,814 |
66,192 |
90,456 |
(Unit: million yen)
- Frozen vegetables
|
1994 |
1996 |
1998 |
| U.S.A. |
23,226 |
32,317 |
43,098 |
| China |
11,456 |
23,030 |
36,639 |
| Taiwan |
7,688 |
6,048 |
5,908 |
| Thailand |
2,553 |
4,532 |
5,596 |
| New Zealand |
3,000 |
3,181 |
4,002 |
Other countries
|
3,241 |
8,005 |
10,467 |
| Total |
51,165 |
77,114 |
105,711 |
(Unit: million yen; Source: Japan Trade Monthly)
Imports from the U.S.A. consist largely of onions, broccoli, pumpkins, asparagus, potatoes, sweet corn and mixed vegetables, while those from China are mainly green soybeans, peas, green beans, spinach and taros. Being in the southern hemisphere, countries such as New Zealand and Australia are at an advantage as they can export fresh vegetables to Japan during the off-season.
- It is important to note that imports are controlled under the Food Hygiene Law, and fresh vegetables are regulated under the Plant Protection Law.
- Under the Food Hygiene Law, importers must file a "Notice of Importation of Foodstuffs" accompanied by the necessary documents with the appropriate quarantine station. If it is determined that a hygiene inspection is required, an inspection is conducted in the bonded area, and import approved or refused. In the case of fresh vegetables, checks for residual agricultural chemicals, additives (coloring) and residual radioactivity are performed, while frozen vegetables are checked to determine their constituents and bacteria levels, etc..
- Under the Plant Protection Law, importers of fresh vegetables must file an "Imported Plants Inspection Application" with the plant health authorities along with an inspection certificate issued by a government body in the country of origin. The purpose of this is to prevent the spread of plant pests. If harmful pests are discovered and the produce consequently fails inspection, the importer is ordered to disinfect (fumigate), dispose of or ship back the product. Import of some categories of foreign vegetable product is prohibited, and vegetables with soil still on them cannot be imported. Labeling of country of origin is mandatory in the case of onions, broccoli, asparagus, taros, burdock, ginger root, garlic, field peas and fresh shiitake mushrooms.
- Fresh and frozen vegetables reach consumers through the following channels:
- Fresh vegetables
1. Overseas producer ¨ importer ¨ market consignee ¨ broker or outside market distributor ¨retailer or discount store such as a supermarket ¨ consumer
2. Overseas producer ¨ retail store ¨ consumer
- Frozen vegetables
1. Overseas producer ¨ trading company ¨ re-packaging maker ¨ wholesaler ¨ retailer or business user ¨ consumer
2. Overseas producer ¨ retailer ¨ consumer
3. Overseas producer ¨ business user ¨ consumer
- Swift transportation is crucial in the case of soft-tissued produce such as matsutake (mushrooms), which are easily damaged, and such product is normally shipped by air under controlled temperature conditions. Other high value-added product and fresh vegetables which must be kept fresh also have to be transported by air. The majority of product is transported by ship, however, which takes about one week from China, ten days from the U.S.A., and almost a month from Latin America. The recent spread of new high-tech containers has enabled vegetables to be transported without any loss of freshness. Thanks to such containers, products such as asparagus, broccoli and spinach, which breath a lot and spoil easily, can also now be transported without any difficulties.
- In the future, it is likely that more new product will be developed overseas and imported to meet Japanese needs.
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