Maruha Nichiro Bets On Rising Demand Of Domestic Frozen Pet Food Segment

Japanese seafood company Maruha Nichiro has entered the frozen pet food business, eyeing on the prospects for this segment. Eight new products with human-grade ingredients for dogs and cats, including some made from skipjack, will enter the Japanese market through Maruha Nichiro’s subsidiary AIXA Corporation, starting July 1. The company, until now, has been involved in the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) production of pet food for the overseas market, mainly the EU and the US. A statement from Maruho Nichiro read: “We will accelerate this process, consolidate the knowledge we have accumulated, to develop steadily.”

According to Maruha Nichiro, the domestic pet food market hit close to JPY 490 billion (USD 3.4 billion) in 2024, and will near approximately JPY 520 billion (USD 3.61 billion) in 2027. Moreover, the demand is expected to grow. “As pets have become family members, pet-related services have rapidly become more diverse and sophisticated.” Atuna reported earlier this year that Japan was the second-largest buyer of Thai pet food in 2024. Japanese buyers purchased 37,836 M/T of feed for their animals last year, a 37 percent increase YoY.