Agricultural Exports from Fukushima Rise to Record in FY '18

Fukushima, April 22 (Jiji Press)--The Fukushima prefectural government said Monday that exports of agricultural products produced in the prefecture rose about 2 pct from a year earlier to 217.8 tons in fiscal 2018, hitting a record high. The northeastern Japan prefecture's agricultural exports suffered a long slump due to the 2011 nuclear accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s <9501> Fukushima No. 1 power plant. But exports hit a record high for the second straight year, backed by an expansion in rice exports to Malaysia in fiscal 2017 and in exports of Japanese pears and other items to Vietnam and Thailand in fiscal 2018. In fiscal 2018, which ended last month, exports of peaches and Japanese persimmons were sluggish due partly to unfavorable weather. But exports of rice to Malaysia, at about 115 tons, led the total exports, as in fiscal 2017. Exports of apples to Thailand and beef to the United States also grew. Due to the nuclear accident, Fukushima's agricultural exports plunged due to import restrictions by countries concerned about radioactive contamination, falling to 2.4 tons in fiscal 2012. The Fukushima government has strengthened efforts to boost exports to Southeast Asian countries since they scrapped the regulations. In fiscal 2017, Fukushima's agricultural exports came to 213.3 tons, exceeding the then record high of 152.9 tons in fiscal 2010, helped by about 101 tons of rice exports to Malaysia. END