Fresh Meats

The Fresh Meats Business accounts for nearly 50% of the NH Foods Group’s net sales. The business was an early adopter of a vertical integration system encompassing all operations from livestock production and raising to slaughtering, processing, distribution, and sales. This setup enables us to promptly and reliably deliver meat products that are safe, high-quality, and fresh. The business develops and sells products under several proprietary brands.

At a Glance

Share of fresh meat sales in Japan

Number of own farms in Japan

Number of plants in Japan

* As of April 2024

Summary of Strategies

Aiming for a 25% market share in fiscal 2030, strengthen procurement and sales capabilities

  1. Strengthen procurement capabilities
    • [Domestic beef] Externalize assets and collaborate with external partners
    • [Domestic pork] Improve in-house production indicators and strengthen external partnerships
    • [Domestic chicken] Strengthen procurement by both strengthening in-house / using external partners
    • [Importing] Strengthen ties with existing overseas major suppliers and improve quality and standards. Expand procurement routes by new countries to diversify risks
  2. Strengthen sales capabilities
    • Expand market share and improve profitability through focused channel strategies
    • Gain competitiveness and improve gross profit through branded meat and value-added products
    • Strengthen marketing to formulate and implement sales policies

Production and Raising

The NH Foods Group raises pigs, chicken, and other livestock on 126 company-owned farms in Japan (as of April 2021). We are committed to total safety and quality. Our poultry production operation, for example, grows chickens from eggs, and our hog business changes feed content at each growth stage to produce tender pork. Our domestic farms are SQF certified, an international quality standard for primary producers.

We conduct our business with awareness of animal welfare, such as by providing free access stalls* for sows and drinking water facilities in the pens where pigs are kept in the processing facilities. All of our farms collect manure to produce organic fertilizer, engage in agricultural recycling, and implement environmental measures.

* Allowing free movement within the enclosure for pregnant sows

Processing and Packing

We slaughter and process animals at 17 plants in Japan (as of April 2021). We also coordinate with nearby Group farms to ensure swift and stable delivery of fresh, high-quality meat.

In addition to processing the animals, our processing facilities also carve the meat according to the specific needs of customers in the mass retail, restaurant, and other industries, to make our products suited to their uses.

We have established a quality assurance system to ensure the stable supply of safe and secure products, and regularly perform safety assessments, quality audits, and safety inspections.

Distribution

We maintain an independent nationwide logistics structure capable of swift product distribution that preserves the freshness and quality of our meats.
We operate two of the largest international distribution centers in Japan, one each in the east and west of the country, with just-in-time capabilities to deliver the right quantity of the right food at the right time. Our distribution capabilities extend beyond refrigeration and freezing to include bonding, classification and storage, as well as logistics for customers outside the Group.

Sales

The NH Foods Group’s internal production and external procurement operations account for about 20% of the fresh meat market in Japan.
We sell our products directly through 119 sites in Japan's major cities (as of March 2022), including our four head offices, all of which maintain close ties and conduct direct sales in their local areas. Our sales locations gather information and use our expertise in fresh meats to propose consumer-oriented product lines and processing techniques for our customers. Solid sales capabilities based on the Group’s network and footwork underpin our fresh meats business.

Shares of meat markets in Japan about 20%

  • Beef 16.1%
  • Pork 19.9%
  • Chicken 22.2%