Copa & Cogeca Presidents meet high-level officials in Japan to promote EU agri produce, trade and hope free trade deal can be signed by end of the year.
The meeting took place in Tokyo with Copa President Martin Merrild, Cogeca President Thomas Magnusson and Copa-Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen as well as both chairmen of the Japanese Parliament senate agri-committees and the farm group JA-Zenchu President Mr Okunoand.
It comes after EU Farm Commissioner Hogan strip to Asia to step up promotional measures for EU agriculture.
'Benefit both economies and agri sectors'
Speaking after the meeting, MrMerrild said: "We came to Tokyo to promote EU agriculture produce and trade in the framework of the bilateral free trade talks between the EU and Japan.
"We believe that an ambitious trade deal can benefit both economies and their agriculture sectors.
"We had frank and open discussions, sharing the same goal of wanting to ensure a sustainable agriculture sector with high quality, safe food.
"We believe that investment in the agriculture sector must be stepped up and young people encouraged to join to ensure a viable sector in the future".
"Talks today focused in particular on trade in processed dairy products like cheese, pork and wine", Merrild added.
"Copa & Cogeca believe that opening the Japanese market would benefit in particular the European meat and dairy products sectors, as well as wine and high value added processed products.
"We also give priority in the negotiations to tackling non-tariff-barriers to trade and cutting red tape as this increases operators costs sharply and can effectively block our exports, Merrild warned."
'European exports would enhance Japanese market'
Cogeca President Thomas Magnusson went on to underline the importance of cooperatives in the agri-food sector and of farmers to join them to help them better market their produce.
He welcomed the strong cooperative movement in Japan and underlined the importance of investing and developing new innovative agri-products in line with consumer demands.
He believes that European exports would compliment and enhance the Japanese market with value added products, without undermining producer prices.
He also welcomed the commitment from both economies to conclude the negotiations by the end of the year, stressing the importance of having a truly ambitious bilateral trade deal with Japan.
