Japan Beef Consumption Up 3 Per Cent In March
JAPAN - Beef consumption in Japan increased 3 per cent year-on-year to 73,275 tonnes (boneless equivalent) during March (supply and demand data by Japan’s Agriculture and Livestock Industries Corporation). Imported beef largely contributed to the growth, adding 14 per cent on last year to 45,737 tonnes.
14 May 2010
1 minute read
Beef demand was reportedly strong from the Japanese fast food sector (volume users of Australian beef) in March, while beef purchases by households showed a four per cent increase from the previous year, says Meat and Livestock Australia. It is estimated that approximately 60 per cent of beef sold at retail is Australian.
While beef consumption volumes were relatively firm in March, consumers’ strong focus on lower value items – at both foodservice and retail – has still been a concern for the Japanese trade. The same MIC data revealed a five per cent fall in household beef expenditure, indicating the ongoing deflationary economy in the market and cautious spending by consumers.
Beef consumption during the March quarter totalled 202,860 tonnes, up three per cent from the previous year, but still seven per cent below 2003’s level (prior to the BSE outbreak in the US).
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