Farm-Scape is sponsored by Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork Play Audio Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork.

Farm-Scape, Episode 1505

The new 'Brand Canada' pork promotion was among the highlights last week when Canada Pork International held two trade seminars in Japan.

The two trade seminars were held in Osaka and Tokyo and brought 52 Canadian packers and traders together with about 650 Japanese buyers and their customers.
The seminars were timed to coincide with the Brand Canada promotion launched in Japan earlier this year and provided updates on such issues as Canadian Quality Assurance, HACCP programs in Canadian plants and developments in traceability.

Canada Pork International Executive Director Jacques Pomerleau says Japan is one of the most competitive markets in the world.

"Japan is one of the very few markets, like my traders would say, that pay their bills right away and they pay well.

At the same time it's one of the most demanding markets and it's important that you develop and maintain a good working relationship between the suppliers and the buyers over there.

When it comes to chilled pork there are only two major suppliers, Canada and the US so it's definitely the US that we have to compete with in that area.

When it comes to frozen, other countries are also important players like Denmark which is bigger than we are on that scene. Between Canada, Denmark and the US you could talk about 90 percent of the Japanese imports. At this time also, because of the scares with beef and chicken, the consumption of both meats have been declining in Japan so our seminars were very timely".

Pomerleau says the introduction of country of origin labelling in Japan has made it critical to ensure Japanese consumers are able to establish a link between Canada and the high quality pork it produces.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.