Livestock and Feed Production Resume
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.