Reported that Japan's recent outbreak of 'potato chips shortage', for a time potato chips and chips prices soared, supermarket shelves for a long time no replenishment. This phenomenon once again reflects the malpractice of Japan's protectionist policy on agricultural products.
According to reports, a month after the potato chips crisis broke out, the pizza flavored potato chips produced by kalobi Co., Ltd., a famous Japanese snack food company, sold for 3000 yen (about 184 yuan) per bag on Yahoo Japan's website. The company, which accounts for nearly half of the market share in Japan, recently announced on April 10 that it would temporarily suspend production of pizza flavored potato chips and other 14 flavors of potato chips and chips, but did not announce the specific time for resuming production. In 2016, typhoons hit northern Japan frequently, resulting in potato production reduction last autumn, which triggered the potato chips crisis sweeping across Japan.
In the past two years, some Japanese farmers are no longer willing to grow potatoes. Coupled with the weather problems, the yield of this crop, which is mainly produced in Hokkaido, Japan, has been greatly reduced. From 2014 to 2015, the reduction in production of dairy farmers in Hokkaido also triggered a 'butter shortage'.
Trade protectionism prevails in the Japanese market, and the government has set many rules and regulations on the import of agricultural products from other countries. Therefore, the producers of potato chips and chips will encounter many obstacles when they import potatoes. The government's reason is that foreign potatoes are likely to bring crop infectious diseases, causing serious harm to local agriculture.
Japan has not imported potatoes since 2006, despite repeated requests from the United States, a major potato exporter. The situation of short supply of potato chips and chips in Japan once again pushed the protectionist import system to the forefront of public opinion.