Japanese Efforts to Diversify Sources of Agricultural Imports

Japan, the leading foreign market for American farm products, has developed a long-term policy of diversifying sources of its agricultural imports to hedge against supplies being reduced or shut off from major sources and to encourage other countries to purchase Japan's industrial products. Programs are underway for assisting developing countries to increase agricultural production. Implementation is primarily through Japan's foreign aid programs--both government and private enterprise participate. The commodities on which most emphasis is being placed are corn, grain sorghum, cassava (for animal feed), oilseeds, tropical fruits, and silk. Programs are underway in all developing regions of the world. Currently, the most ambitious programs are in Southeast Asia. By 1975, it seems reasonable to expect that Southeast Asia will be exporting to Japan 1.5 million to 2.0 million metric tons of corn and 200,000 to 300,000 tons of grain sorghum. A roughly equivalent amount of grain sorghum may be moving from Australia to Japan. Other items that are expected to show a significant increase in volume of imports by Japan by 1975 include dried cassava, tropical fruits and fruit products, raw silk, cotton, and tobacco.