The new top executive of NH Foods Ltd. said he is considering measures to address concerns over a surge in costs for operating plants, packaging and livestock feed from a spike in crude oil prices.
Fumio Maeda, who took the helm at the major Japanese food maker in April, said in a recent interview with Kyodo News that it would be "natural" to consider passing costs on to customers to mitigate the impact of the cost increases.
The company, formerly known as Nippon Meat Packers Inc., will also explore steps such as consolidating production into labor-saving lines and adjusting volumes of labor-intensive products as it seeks "to fulfill its responsibility" to ensure stable food supplies, he said.
The 60-year-old new president said procurement risks extend to many naphtha-derived items such as factory gloves.
On its ballpark business, Maeda said his company aims to attract 7 million visitors in 2028 to the entertainment facilities around Es Con Field Hokkaido, home of the Nippon Ham Fighters professional baseball team, in Kitahiroshima, aiming also to support local revitalization.
==Kyodo
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