The affiliate food sales company, Tokyo-based Kaneka Shokuhin Co., Ltd., has started selling the 500ml milk product, “Milk for Bread,” in the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Kansai area from this April.
Next month, the company will start selling butter, for mainly commercial use, to bakeries and confectionery customers.
The company said it will gradually introduce other dairy products such as yogurt and functional foods to the market.
In addition, the construction of a dairy manufacturing plant in Hokkaido is being considered, with the goal being net sales of ¥20bn ($186.6m) in the sector over the next five years.
In January 2018, Kaneka formed a technical partnership with Belgium’s Pur Natur Invest BVBA, to develop and manufacture dairy products.
Pur Natur has several group companies, which combined, sell organic dairy products including yogurt, milk, cheese and butter throughout Europe.
Farming issues
Kaneka said the domestic dairy farming industry in Japan is enduring a difficult time due to a lack of successors wanting to take over farms, and a labor shortage. It added more people leaving farming has also been a major issue.
The company said it is looking to boost domestic production by making the industry attractive, promoting sustainable and productive dairy farming, improving the farm working environment, and supporting environmentally-friendly dairy-farming management.