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Canada Expands Market Access in Japan for Canadian Beef

Canadian Government Helps Improve Export Beef Market in Japan

By , Farms.com

The Government of Canada has reached a new deal with Japan to enhance market access to Canadian beef. The access is for beef cattle less than 30 months of age, which is an improvement compared to the old requirements, which only permitted beef exports from animals less than 21 months of age. Expanding the age requirement will provide Canada will better export access to Japan with exports expected to reach $150 million annually.

"Our Government welcomes this expanded access for Canadian beef into the valuable Japanese market,” said Minister Ritz. "This agreement will put more top quality Canadian beef on Japanese store shelves while strengthening our producers' bottom lines and growing our overall economy.”

The revised regulations will come into effect Feb 1, 2013. Japan is Canada’s third-largest export market for beef. Since the 2003 case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) found in an animal in Canada, government and industry has been working hard to reopen markets - like Japan, which have taken years of negotiation.


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What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?


?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.