ISDA Director Don Lamb Highlights Significance of Recent Ag Trade Mission to Japan

Don Lamb, Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), recently participated in a trade mission to Japan, emphasizing the importance of increasing the value of Indiana-grown crops, livestock, and agricultural products and expanding their presence in international markets. Japan serves as Indiana's third largest agricultural export market, following Canada and Mexico.

During the trade mission to Tokyo and Osaka, Lamb met with Japanese business leaders, including the president of Kewpie, a prominent mayonnaise processor in Japan. Lamb highlighted the existing relationship between Kewpie and an Indiana company that supplies eggs for the production of mayonnaise. Establishing such personal connections was deemed a significant highlight of the trip.

The visit provided Lamb with valuable insights into marketing Indiana's food products to Japanese consumers. He learned that Japanese consumers frequently visit grocery stores three to four times a week, purchasing smaller quantities due to limited household storage space. High quality was emphasized as a crucial factor in the Japanese market, which prioritizes quality over price. Understanding these specific preferences and packaging requirements was enlightening for Lamb.

The trade mission also aimed to promote specialty crops, wines, spirits, and other agricultural products. Lamb noted that meetings were held with smaller producers who successfully connected with Japanese buyers, demonstrating that even smaller-scale operations can export products to Japan.

Led by Alexis Taylor, USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, the trade mission featured the participation of Lamb and ISDA's International Trade Director, Drew Sherman. Lamb expressed his intention to encourage more Indiana producers and agricultural businesses to join future trade missions, facilitating connections and expanding export opportunities. In 2021, Japan purchased over $182 million worth of agricultural products from Indiana, underscoring the significance of the trade relationship between the two regions.

Photo Credit: PNGitem-Kartik Sharma