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Bringing U.S. Tomatoes to the Japanese Market
By Michael D. Woolsey and Kenzo Ito
After eight years of hard
work, the payoff was sweet. The Japanese government lifted its
phytosanitary ban on U.S. tomatoes on April 24, 1997.
Opening the market took the combined hard work of many hands: USDA's Office of Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the California Tomato Commission and the Florida Tomato Committee.
Following the long-awaited announcement, U.S. tomato growers in California and Florida are appreciating their new-found strength in numbers and complementary growing seasons as they maximize their impact on the Japanese market, marketing their produce as "USA Tomatoes."
MAP Funding Enables Promotions
So far the biggest challenge for USA Tomatoes has been educating shippers and end-users on the best way to handle this care-intensive product. The Market Access Program (MAP), a USDA-sponsored program designed to finance promotional activities for U.S. agricultural products, is helping out to the tune of $300,000 in the 1998 marketing year.
To help educate handlers and distributors in state-of-the-art methods, a U.S. technician, who works for the California and Florida growers, coordinates shipments going to Japan.
To assure tomatoes in tiptop condition, new shippers must learn proper temperature and handling techniques. Japanese importers on the receiving end, unfamiliar with handling requirements for the ripening tomato, need to acquire appropriate packing and storage facilities.
With minimal shipping time of 11 days by sea (add minimal overland shipping of three days for Florida crops), experienced shippers have learned to pamper the globes with 52o-54oF temperatures and proper ventilation.
The technician works with personnel at the receiving facilities and within the distribution network, providing educational seminars and brochures to teach proper handling and storage.
Another full-time Japanese employee pursues promotional efforts, visiting prospective buyers and directing general educational projects that promote the virtues of the U.S. product.
"On the Vine" from the Netherlands
While sales from the United
States have only just begun, U.S. exporters can be heartened by
the success of another exporter. The Netherlands' tomato exports to Japan,
while still small at $1.3 million (247 tons) through October
1997, were nearly double the sales at the same time the prior
year. The Dutch are competing with "on-the-vine" clusters, priced
slightly above domestic tomatoes.
Food Service Takes Big Bite Out of Market
Food service now accounts for roughly 40 percent of the total tomato distribution in Japan. U.S. tomatoes possess characteristics deemed desirable by this sector: firm skin, denser flesh and denser gel portion.
While Japanese tomatoes tend to be softer, sweeter and pinker than the 25 varieties of U.S. tomatoes approved by the Japanese government, the U.S. varieties are particularly suited for the sandwiches and salads served by the fast-food service industry. The brix (sugar content) of U.S. mature greens is somewhat lower than those sold in Japanese groceries.
To illustrate the market potential--McDonald's tallies a store count exceeding 2,000 in Japan, and is adding 350 per year. Imagine each restaurant using just one box of USA Tomatoes per day...
Then, factor in the other fast-food restaurants serving U.S.-style foods: Wendy's, Burger King, Mosburger, Denny's and Skylark...
As the arrival quality and handling methods of USA Tomatoes improve, many traders expect wintertime sales--when a 10-pound flat of tomatoes can go for $25--to tip the balance towards the U.S. exports. Knowledgeable buyers will be anxious to take advantage the competitive pricing and the quality characteristics that make the U.S. varieties ideal for food service use.
Ripe Green Tomatoes?
Due to the long shipping times for exported tomatoes, careful attention must be paid to harvesting, packing and shipping needs. The tomatoes must be picked green and handled carefully to ensure ripening continues evenly during transit.
Fresh U.S. tomatoes are picked by hand, washed in chlorine, rinsed several times, inspected and boxed, still green.
Later, under optimum temperature and humidity, an application of ripening gas will help the tomatoes ripen more evenly.
"Mature green" refers to a tomato that is fully developed except for the color. Mature greens are normally packed in bulk containers without a calyx (stem), because the bulk container packing doesn't allow for the stems. "Vine ripes" usually have the calyx on, as their layered packing leaves room for the stems without damage to other tomatoes.
U.S. growers take pride in the virtual absence of pesticide residues on their tomatoes, meeting all U.S., Codex Alimentarius and Japanese standards.
Michael Woolsey is an agricultural attache and Kenzo Ito is an agricultural specialist at the Office of Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. Tel.: (81-3) 3224-5102; Fax: (81-3) 3589-0793; Email: woolsey@fas.usda.gov
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