By Bernama
Tokyo : Japan’s imports of vegetables from China have nosedived since late January when tainted Chinese-made meat dumplings caused several cases of food poisoning, Kyodo news agency reported citing a preliminary government survey released Thursday.
Japan imported 20,704 tonnes of vegetables from China in the first three weeks of February, down 39. 7 percent from a year earlier, said the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Among items that registered the sharpest declines, imports of cabbages plunged 66. 7 percent and those of ”satoimo” — a kind of root crop — plummeted 65. 7 percent.
Vegetable purchases from China apparently fell so sharply because Chinese authorities have introduced tougher and lengthier inspection standards for exports and also because Japanese distributors have started to shun Chinese produce, the ministry said.
Of the top three imported products by quantity, onions posted a decline of 30. 4 percent, ginger 15. 3 percent, and stone leeks 34. 4 percent.
Weekly imports have also decreased steadily ever since the outbreak of food poisoning.
Japan imported 10,668 tonnes of vegetables from China in the fourth week of January before the incident came to light, but the figure dropped to 6,461 tonnes in the second week of February and to 4,331 tonnes in the following week, according to the ministry report.