This statistical report by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries covers food manufacturing industry production trends for May 2025. It provides detailed reporting on year-over-year production volume changes for major categories including livestock food products, marine food products, agricultural food products, milled grain products, seasonings, and beverages.
Key Points
1. Livestock Food Product Production Trends
- Fermented milk (non-dairy) production: -2.5% YoY (slight decrease)
- Lactic acid bacteria beverages (non-dairy) production: -20.9% YoY (significant decrease)
- Significant decrease in dairy lactic acid bacteria beverages drives overall decline
- Standalone lactic acid bacteria beverages show considerable increase (11.5% increase)
2. Marine Food Product Production Trends
- Chikuwa production: -3.5% YoY (moderate decrease)
- Kamaboko products (excluding chikuwa) production: -2.2% YoY (slight decrease)
- Packaged kamaboko increased, but board kamaboko, naruto, hanpen decreased
- Overall sluggish performance in marine food products
3. Agricultural Food Products (Pickled Vegetables/Fruits) Production Trends
- Pickled vegetables/fruits production: -8.0% YoY (considerable decrease)
- Only miso pickles increased
- All others decreased: salt pickles, vinegar pickles, light pickles, rice bran pickles, soy sauce pickles, sake lees pickles
- Marked contraction trend in pickles market
4. Milled Grain and Processed Product Production Trends
- Joshinko (rice flour) production: -12.4% YoY (significant decrease)
- New rice flour production: 5.5% YoY (moderate increase)
- White bread wheat flour usage: 4.5% YoY (moderate increase)
- Sweet bread wheat flour usage: 2.2% YoY (slight increase)
5. Noodle Production Trends
- Fresh noodles wheat flour usage: 2.7% YoY (slight increase)
- Dried noodles wheat flour usage: -1.6% YoY (slight decrease)
- Instant bag noodles wheat flour usage: 4.1% YoY (moderate increase)
- Cup noodles wheat flour usage: 2.2% YoY (slight increase)
6. Seasoning Production Trends
- Miso production: 1.0% YoY (unchanged from previous year)
- Soy sauce production (April): -3.0% YoY (moderate decrease)
- Barley miso decreased but other miso increased, overall unchanged
7. Beverage Production Trends
- Coffee beverages production: 1.1% YoY (slight increase)
- Tea beverages production: -6.4% YoY (considerable decrease)
- Decrease in barley tea beverages drives overall tea beverage decline
8. Rice Product Production Trends
- Aseptic packaged cooked rice production: 8.5% YoY (considerable increase)
- Frozen rice production: 3.6% YoY (moderate increase)
- Rice crackers production: 5.5% YoY (moderate increase)
- Biscuit production: 4.3% YoY (moderate increase)
The article shows that overall in the food manufacturing industry, traditional foods (pickles, lactic acid bacteria beverages, etc.) are showing declining production trends while convenient foods like bread, instant noodles, and rice products are showing increasing production trends.