08/13/07 US diary demand high in Japan

Its one of the biggest and busiest cites on earth. Thanks in part of US Dairy producers and the dairy checkoff Tokyo, Japan is where Jeff McNeill works every day with the US Dairy Export Council to grow Japanese demand. MCNEILL "We very much appreciate all the support of the U.S. dairy producers in helping us build this market in Japan. It's currently the third largest market for U.S. dairy products around the world." The Japanese have one of the strongest economies in the world but they also have an aging population. The average age among Japan's 127 million people is rising faster than another other country in the world. By 2050 it's estimated that 30 percent of the Japanese population will be senior citizens. McNeill says this trend is an opportunity for US dairy producers to export more ingredients such as whey protein. MCNEILL "Since items such as the U.S. dairy whey proteins can help manage ailments such as sarcopenia, which is the loss of muscle that affects one-third of the senior population." Today's the US supplies more than half of Japan's whey protein needs, a 32 million dollar a year export market. McNeill believes those numbers will go higher as the US Dairy Export Council continues working with the industry to create more products featuring American whey protein. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott