August 22, 2011
Japan's compound feed production down 0.8% in June
The June total compound feed output of Japan slid 0.8% against last year to 1.98 million tonnes, down for the sixth straight month but narrowing the speed of decline, Agriculture Ministry data showed on Friday (Aug 19).
In May, total output of compound feed for animals fell 3% from a year earlier to 1.92 million tonnes.
A farm ministry official said the trend of the past few months reflected the effects of the March 11 earthquake.
Of the 163 factories surveyed for the data, 159 responded, with the four that did not do so-or about 4% of the total-likely to have been among those industrial facilities in wide areas of northeastern Japan hit by the quake.
Higher prices of
corn was another possible reason prompting a shift from mixed feed, which mainly uses corn, to formula feed, resulting in a sharp year-on-year decline in mixed
feed.
The official said the rise in corn prices since July last year could distort year-on-year comparisons in the coming months.
In June, output of formula feed inched down 0.2% from year earlier while output of mixed feed fell 26.8%.
Japan is the world's biggest importer of corn, the main ingredient in animal feed in Japan. The US is its main supplier of corn for feed use.