Japan plans stronger dairy-farm support as farm numbers decline

Takebe described a looser market for raw milk, with production increasing while consumption weakened. He attributed the rise in output to summer temperatures below the seasonal average, alongside lower consumption of drinking milk and other dairy products. Hokkaido is Japan’s largest milk-producing region.

The minister identified the Basic Policy for Modernising Dairy and Beef Cattle Production, adopted in April 2025, as the framework for the ministry’s measures. Its priorities include technology-assisted livestock farming, higher productivity and greater use of feed produced within Japan.

Takebe said the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries would promote productivity improvements, including smart livestock-farming practices, to address labour shortages. He also outlined efforts to expand domestic feed production and use, particularly forage, with the aim of reducing dependence on imported feed.

Product development is another part of the policy. The ministry is working to encourage demand for milk and dairy products through new products, Takebe said. He placed demand expansion alongside productivity gains and reduced reliance on feed imports among the ministry’s priorities.

Takebe said the ministry remained committed to conditions that would allow dairy farmers to continue producing with confidence in their future. He linked that commitment to maintaining a stable supply of the milk and dairy products needed by the population.

The minister also appealed directly to consumers, describing their participation as essential to the dairy industry’s long-term sustainability. He urged them to increase consumption, suggesting that they drink an additional glass of milk beyond their usual intake.