Governor Jim Pillen and Nebraska’s trade delegation held a dinner in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday with leaders from Nippon Foods and Tyson Foods. During the meal, Gov. Pillen thanked Nippon Foods for being a loyal customer of Nebraska agricultural products. The dinner also provided an opportunity for Nebraska pig farmers and ranchers to tell the story of their innovative production practices. By harnessing advanced technologies, the Nebraska livestock industry is continually producing more high-quality proteins while using less land, water, and energy.
Founded in 1942, Nippon Foods, commonly known as Nippon Ham, is a major importer of pork into Japan. The company retails ham and sausage products. Several Nippon Ham products, such as their pork sausage links and chilled pizzas, have top market share in their respective categories. Their success as a company is so great that they sponsor a Japanese major league baseball team, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. All-star ballplayer Shohei Ohtani, of the Los Angeles Dodgers, played for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters from 2013 to 2017 before coming to play in the United States.
Nebraska Pork Gains Market Share in Japan as California’s Farmer-Unfriendly Policies Take Effect
In 2018, the State of California passed Proposition 12, a ballot initiative that required pig farmers to comply with restrictive animal agriculture practices to be able to sell pork in the state. Pork producers in California had little choice but to incur significant costs and raise prices to meet the stringent demands of Proposition 12. As a result, pork is more expensive to produce in California than in many other parts of the U.S.