– Japan is one of Poland’s most important economic partners in Asia, and at the same time a very demanding market for agri-food products. Therefore, so important are direct talks with the administration and business partners which help open new export opportunities for Polish companies – stressed Deputy Minister Adam Nowak.

During the visit of the MARD delegation, meetings with representatives of the Japanese government, events promoting Polish food and talks with entrepreneurs and importers interested in cooperation with Polish producers were held.

Talks about access to the Japanese market

One of the most important elements of the visit were meetings with representatives of the Japanese government – at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW).

The talks concerned primarily increasing access of Polish agri-food products to the Japanese market. The Polish party presented demands regarding, among others:

• improving conditions for the export of Polish beef to Japan, including lifting the age limit for cattle,

• opportunities of exporting processed beef products,

• approval of establishments interested in exporting processed poultry meat,

• full recognition of regionalisation in the case of animal diseases,

• opening the Japanese market for selected plant products, including blueberries and apples.

– Poland is one of the largest producers of food in the European Union and has an enormous export potential. We are committed to gradually expanding access to the Japanese market for further products and creating stable,

predictable conditions of cooperation for our entrepreneurs – highlighted Undersecretary Adam Nowak.

Promotion of Polish food and meeting with entrepreneurs

During the visit, the MARD delegation also attended the Foodex Japan fair in Tokyo – the largest event of the food industry in Japan and one of the most important events in Asia.

More than 50 companies presented their offer at Polish stands, including 38 companies at the national stand organised by the National Support Centre for Agriculture. The products presented included, among others, meat products, fish and fish products, milk products, juices, sweets, snacks as well as fruit and vegetable products.

– For years, Poland has been building a strong position as a supplier of high-quality food on foreign markets. In more and more countries, consumers are convinced of the taste values and safety of our products. In 2025, the agri-food export from Poland reached the record value of EUR 58.4 million – said the Deputy Minister.

The delegation also visited the stands of Polish companies and talked with importers and representatives of the food industry. The Polish Embassy in Tokyo also hosted a press conference and a business meeting with the participation of Polish companies and Japanese trading partners.

– Production and export of food is one of the greatest strengths of the Polish economy. Our products are now being shipped to the most demanding markets in the world. The sale of Polish agri-food products to Japan already exceeds EUR 80 million a year, and many of them – among others, beef, fish, juices or sweets – have won the recognition of Japanese consumers. We expect the further development of cooperation and presence of further Polish companies on this market – stressed the Deputy Minister.

Scientific cooperation in agriculture

An important point in the programme of the visit was also a visit to the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), one of the leading agricultural research centres in Asia.

The talks concerned, among others, preventing the effects of drought, managing water resources in agriculture and using new genomic techniques in plant breeding.

The Polish party presented the experiences of national research institutes, including the agricultural drought monitoring system managed by the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation National Research Institute.

– Today, scientific cooperation and exchange of experiences are critical in the context of challenges related to climate change. We are interested in Japanese experiences with regard to managing water resources in agriculture and new plant breeding technologies that increase crop resistance to drought – stressed Deputy Minister Adam Nowak.

Polish research institutions also expressed interest in developing cooperation with Japanese partners in the field of new agricultural technologies and studies on plant resistance to climate change.