Japan's exports of agricultural, fishery and forestry products and related foods reached 922.3 billion yen in 2020, up 1.1% from the previous year, a preliminary government report showed Friday.
Although exports dropped year-on-year in the first half amid the spread of coronavirus infections, their value marched back to a record high for the eighth straight year thanks to strong demand for eggs and other agricultural products for home consumption, as people spent more time at home.
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry reported that the value of exported chicken eggs stood at 4.5 billion yen, about 2.1 times the figure from the same period last year, mainly because eating rice topped with a raw egg has become increasingly popular in Hong Kong.
Exports of rice, which is mainly for general households, increased 15% to 5.3 billion yen, while those of pork grew 55% to 1.7 billion yen. Exports of beef and sake, which plunged in the first half of last year, also recovered thanks to an expansion of retailer's sales networks.
Meanwhile, sales of marine products dropped sharply, with that of scallops, the mainstay of the industry, falling 29.6% to 31.4 billion yen. Overall food-service industry demand slumped as a number of Japanese restaurants stopped operating overseas following the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Exports of pearls also plummeted 76.9% to 7.6 billion yen, attributed to the cancellations of business meetings.
Shipments to Hong Kong, the top export destination, increased 1.2% to 206.1 billion yen, followed by mainland China, whose economic activities recovered quickly, with 163.9 billion yen, up 6.6% from a year earlier. Exports to the United States dwindled 4.0%.
The government aims to increase exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products and related foods to 5 trillion yen by 2030.
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