Japan’s milk supply glut has PM Kishida urging people to drink more dairy and use it in cooking
- The owner of the Omiya Western Sweets Shop revealed the previously secret recipe for its hugely popular vanilla-milk puddings.
- But some have asked if the government is setting a precedent to intervene each time businesses get into trouble
The oversupply crisis this winter was triggered by a sharp drop in milk consumption as schools which provide individual cartons of milk to children as part of their lunches are closed for the holidays.
The sector’s problems were also compounded by a decline in sales as many shops and restaurants – already reeling from pandemic-related curbs – closed for a series of national holidays.
Another factor that contributed to the surplus supply was Japanese cows produced more milk during this year’s relatively cool summer months and the industry warned that farmers could be forced to discard as much as 5,000 tonnes of raw milk – equivalent to 5 million one-litre cartons – if consumers do not buy more.
To stimulate consumption, the Japan Dairy Association launched a social media campaign under the #1L per day hashtag, which received a warm welcome from the cattle farmers who pledged to buy an extra litre of milk every day between December 25 and January 3.