Japan to Expand Import Quota for Powdered Skim Milk

Tokyo, May 25 (Jiji Press)--Japan's agriculture ministry said Thursday that it will raise the reduced-tariff import quota for powdered skim milk for fiscal 2017 through next March, reflecting the growing popularity of yogurt products using the material in the country. The quota will be increased by 21,000 tons to 34,000 tons, some 2.6-fold the initially planned level for the year, to help dairy makers stably procure the milk. Demand for yogurt products is growing due to an increase in health-conscious consumers in the country. Reflecting the trend, domestic inventories of powdered skim milk in distribution are falling, and imports of the milk in fiscal 2017 are expected to reach the initially set quota level of 13,000 tons by July. Meanwhile, the ministry will keep the fiscal 2017 import quota of 13,000 tons for butter, citing recent stable supply-demand conditions. Butter has been in short supply in recent years in Japan.Copyright JIJI PRESS LTD.