Number of Dairy Farmers Drops Below 10,000 in Japan

As of October 2024, the number of dairy farmers in Japan had fallen to 9,960, a drop of 5.7%, compared to the same month the previous year. This was announced by the Japan Dairy Council, an industry group formed of organizations connected with dairy producers. It is the first time since the council’s survey began in 2005 that the number has fallen below 10,000.

A year-on-year comparison of the rate of decline in dairy farmers revealed that it has been accelerating since 2022. This is thought to have been caused by worsening business conditions, brought about by the weak yen and high crude oil prices driving up production costs.

According to the results of the council’s mainly online survey, as of September, 58.9% of the 236 dairy farmers who responded were “in deficit” and 47.9% stated they had considered leaving farming.

Asked about their current financial situation, 83.1% of dairy farmers thought it was “bad” and the factors they cited as the cause, with multiple responses possible, were the weak yen (91.8%), high oil prices (68.4%), and the situation in Ukraine (67.9%). While the costs of feed, farm equipment, and utilities were rising, many dairy farmers complained that income from the sale of cows and milk was falling.

The council also ran an online survey in November, aimed at members of the public who purchase milk at least once a month, which revealed that while 98% “want to be able to keep drinking domestically produced fresh milk,” two-thirds of respondents were unaware about the declining number of dairy farmers.

(Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)