Possibility of mass disposal of “raw milk” Industry groups intensify the sense of crisis

During the year-end and New Year holidays, industry groups have shown that raw milk, the raw material for milk and dairy products, may be discarded on an unprecedented scale.

While demand for commercial butter, which has fallen due to the corona slump, has not recovered, school lunches are closed, and groups are focusing on increasing milk consumption to avoid disposal.

Inventory volume increased to record high

According to "J Milk", an industry group made by dairy manufacturers and dairy farmers, the production of raw milk has been showing the effect of increasing production in the last few years due to the shortage of butter about 6 years ago. Due to the low summer temperature and the ease with which milk is produced, this year's production is expected to increase by more than 170,000 tons from last year.

On the other hand, since the spread of the new coronavirus infection, the demand for commercial butter and skim milk powder has fallen, and the amount of inventories has increased to a record high.

In addition, during the year-end and New Year holidays, milk consumption will drop significantly due to the lack of school lunch, so it is possible that 5,000 tons of raw milk will be discarded during the year-end and New Year holidays, according to a group estimate.

Fifteen years ago, in 2006, about 900 tons of raw milk was discarded due to sluggish milk consumption, but if this amount were to be discarded, it would be an unprecedented situation. is.

In order to avoid disposal, the group asked dairy workers to cooperate in curbing shipments during the year-end and New Year holidays, decided to subsidize dairy workers who curtailed shipments, and aimed to increase milk consumption. We are focusing on PR activities.

Masatoshi Uchihashi, Managing Director of "J Milk," said, "If it were to be discarded, not only would it be an economic loss, but dairy farmers would be more worried about the future, which could lead to a reduction in production. I'm working hard to avoid wasting it. "

According to the "Central Dairy Council," which is a member of producer groups nationwide, manufacturers are being encouraged to operate factories as much as possible during the year-end and New Year holidays so that raw milk is not discarded. ..

We are calling for the production of "long-life milk" that can be stored at room temperature for a long time by sterilizing it at a higher temperature than general milk, and even among manufacturers that are closed during the year-end and New Year holidays, there are places where it will be operational this time. is.

A person in charge of the Central Dairy Council said, "In the unlikely event that it is discarded, it will lead to a decline in the motivation of producers and it is a crisis situation that the entire industry must tackle. I would like to ask consumers to be aware of this situation and cooperate. I'm talking.

JA Zen-Noh New product development to expand consumption

JA Zen-Noh has developed a new product that uses plenty of milk in an attempt to increase milk consumption.

That is milk tea in a bottle that uses 50% or more of domestic milk out of 275 grams per can.

It is said that the "thickness" of milk is about five times that of ordinary milk tea.

When we started selling from this month, there was a response on SNS such as "absolutely delicious" and "I can't wait for milk lovers", and sales are strong.

We have already sold 120,000 bottles, but we plan to produce another 120,000 bottles during the year-end and New Year holidays when demand for milk is declining.

However, according to JA Zen-Noh, even if this amount of milk tea is made, the amount of milk used is about 40 tons, which does not lead to a fundamental solution.

It is said that the aim of selling this product is not only to directly consume it, but also to increase the consumption of milk by making people aware of the current plight.

When accessing from the QR code printed on the bottle can, it was introduced that the demand for milk will drop during the year-end and New Year holidays, and if unprocessable raw milk is produced, it may be difficult to obtain domestic milk and dairy products. You can also see recipes for cooking with milk.

Koji Ushizuka, chief of the JA Zenno Dairy Department, who developed this milk tea, said, "We don't want to waste even a single drop of milk that dairy farmers have worked hard to make. Many people think of this situation. I hope I can contribute to the expansion of milk consumption as much as possible. "

Severe current situation Providing information that triggered the interview

This time, I started to cover the current situation regarding raw milk because of a post sent to NHK's information service window, "News Post".

Mr. Tadaaki Takamizawa (61) from Minamimaki Village, Nagano Prefecture provided the information.

A dairy farmer who raises about 50 dairy cows.

At the end of last month, he was told by a local JA that he would like to cooperate in curbing the shipment of raw milk for the 10 days of the year-end and New Year holidays, so he wanted many people to know about the difficult situation of dairy farming.

Mr. Takamizawa's worries are not limited to shipping restraints.

In April, the price per ton of compound feed increased by more than 6,000 yen, which was the highest ever, compared to the previous month, and the price continued to rise after that, increasing by about 10,000 yen so far. It is said that it was done.

In addition, the price of kerosene used for boilers has risen against the backdrop of high crude oil prices, and the overall cost of raising cattle has increased by about 20% compared to last year.

Mr. Takamizawa said, "I've heard that retailers are saying,'If you have excess milk, I want you to lower the price.' If that happens, the cost will go up, but the price will go down, which will be a further blow. I'm not worried about whether or not it will be enough to curb shipments only during the year-end and New Year holidays. I want as many people as possible to be aware of this situation and increase milk consumption. "

Free distribution of "milk tickets" to expand consumption in Hokkaido

In Hokkaido, where dairy is flourishing, various movements are being made to increase consumption of milk and dairy products.

Tsurui Village, which has a population of about 2,500, will distribute 2000 yen worth of milk tickets to all villagers free of charge in an attempt to increase consumption of locally produced milk, and mailed it on the 10th.

It can be used at stores in the village, and you can buy not only milk but also dairy products such as butter and cheese.

Shibecha Town, which has a population of about 7,300, will also distribute 1000 yen worth of milk purchase tickets per household, and will be mailed to all 3,600 households in the town from next week.

Mr. Shigemitsu Suzuki, the president of JA Shibecha, said, "If there is a surplus in milk, we have to dispose of it. I would like other municipalities to do the same." rice field.

In addition, Hideyuki Kurato, who runs a dairy farm in Shibecha Town, welcomed "It is a wonderful initiative to get consumers to drink milk as much as possible in the current trend of milk production being restrained."

On the other hand, regarding the future, "I don't feel that management is tough because I haven't entered into production restraint yet, but I'm worried about what will happen in the future. It's best to return to the original situation, including milk consumption. That's it. "

In addition, on the 9th in Kushiro City, a young dairy farmer presented 7200 bottles of yogurt to drink with gratitude to medical staff.

It was purchased with donations collected through crowdfunding, and we would like to make people aware of the situation where consumption is declining and to encourage consumption.

Tatsuhiko Asano, director of JA Akan Youth Club, said, "We are working hard not to dispose of milk, so we would like you to cooperate in expanding consumption."