National Beef Cattle Business Cooperative Association

What National Beef Cattle Business Cooperative Association does

National Beef Cattle Business Cooperative Association (全国肉牛事業協同組合), also styled as Japan Cattle Industry Cooperative, is a Japanese business cooperative (事業協同組合) established in 1989 under the Small and Medium Enterprise Cooperatives Act. Founded by 150 beef cattle producers one year prior to Japan's 1991 beef import liberalization, the cooperative organizes approximately 1,000 member farms across Japan that collectively account for more than one-third of national fattened cattle production. Its product portfolio centers on a consignment management service (肉用牛預託事業) and Japan's first cattle-as-movable-property collateral financing system (動産(牛)担保融資事業), launched in 2004 with Mizuho Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance & Lease. Supporting services include collective feed purchasing (飼料販売事業), cattle vaccination programs (牛ワクチン事業), equipment leasing intermediated through the Livestock Environment Improvement Organization (リース事業), an occupational accident welfare program (福利厚生事業), livestock market intelligence services, annual carcass competitions (共励会) at the Tokyo Central Wholesale Meat Market, and Japanese beef export promotion via the Japan Livestock Products Export Promotion Council.

The cooperative generates revenue through member equity contributions (¥50,000 per share), annual membership dues (¥10,000 per member), transaction-based fees on feed sales and vaccination programs, intermediation margins on leasing and financing arrangements, and service fees for collateral management on cattle-backed loans. Distribution combines direct member engagement (regional block meetings, member portal, LINE official account) with a partner financial institution network spanning city banks, regional banks (Joyo, 77, Miyazaki, Eighteenth Bank, Tohoku, Sanjusan), credit unions (Hiroshima, Kagoshima), JA Shinyren, and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance & Lease. Member acquisition is governed by a referral requirement — new members must be introduced by existing members — and the cooperative operates a single Tokyo headquarters in Minato-ku. Governance is exercised through a board of directors and general assembly, with Nakabayashi Masayoshi (中林正悦) having succeeded Yamasaki Toru (山氏徹) as Chairman on May 28, 2021.

Name

National Beef Cattle Business Cooperative Association

Legal name

全国肉牛事業協同組合

Website

https://jcic-f1.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Cooperative Services

NAICS

Cattle Ranching and Farming (1121), Support Activities for Animal Production (11521)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Beef Cattle Grazing & Pasture-Based Operations (AFAEABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Animal Handling, Transport & Livestock Hauling Services (AFAEALAD), Farm-to-Consumer Cooperative Markets (Local Producer Co-ops) (CRAHALAG), Livestock & Animal Transport Vehicles Leasing & Rental (TLABAEAJ)

Keywords

• Cattle cooperative services
• Livestock collateral financing
• Beef cattle feed supply
• Cattle vaccination programs
• Agricultural equipment leasing

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Contributions and Fees: Members pay equity contributions (出資金) of 50,000 yen per share and annual fees (年会費/賦課金) of 10,000 yen.
2. Livestock Collateral Management Services: The cooperative acts as guarantor and manager of cattle collateral for member financing arrangements with partner financial institutions.
3. Feed and Supplies Joint Purchasing: Collective purchasing of feed, materials, and supplies for members, providing cost advantages through volume buying.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The cooperative operates an integrated service platform for Japan's beef cattle producers, centered on cattle consignment management (肉用牛預託事業) and the nation's first livestock collateral financing program (動産(牛)担保融資事業) using cattle as movable property collateral. Supporting services include joint feed purchasing, cattle vaccination, equipment leasing, livestock market data, carcass competitions, beef export promotion, and welfare benefits for approximately 1,000 members across Japan.

Product overview

National Beef Cattle Business Cooperative Association (全国肉牛事業協同組合) is an agricultural cooperative operating a diversified portfolio of interconnected services for Japan's beef cattle industry. The core offering centers on the 肉用牛預託事業 (Beef Cattle Consignment Management) and the pioneering 動産(牛)担保融資事業 (Movable Cattle Collateral Financing) system — Japan's first livestock collateral loan program. Supporting these are 飼料販売事業 (Feed Sales) for cost-reducing collective purchasing, 牛疫苗事業 (Cattle Vaccination), リース事業 (Leasing) for agricultural facilities and equipment, and 福利厚生事業 (Welfare Programs). A suite of member support services includes 畜産情報(牛肉)事業 (Livestock Information) with market data and breeding statistics, 枝肉共励会 (Carcass Competitions) for quality improvement, 国産牛肉輸出等促進事業 (Beef Export Promotion), and 国産牛肉販売促進フェア (Sales Promotion Fairs). The association manages approximately 1,000 members who collectively account for about one-third of Japan's beef cattle production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beef Cattle Consignment Management (肉用牛預託事業) Consignment management service enabling beef cattle producers to place cattle with fattening farms, supporting stable production and financing through movable property (cattle) collateral arrangements.
• Movable Property (Cattle) Collateral Financing (動産(牛)担保融資事業) Japan's first livestock collateral financing system, enabling members to use beef cattle as movable property collateral when borrowing from partner financial institutions for purchasing fattening calves. The cooperative evaluates and manages the cattle as collateral.
• Feed Sales (飼料販売事業) Collective feed purchasing program for members, providing feed at reduced costs through joint buying arrangements with feed manufacturers, which also influences regional feed pricing.
• Cattle Vaccination Program (牛ワクチン事業) Vaccination service program for cattle, providing vaccines to member farms to support animal health management.
• Leasing Services (リース事業) Leasing services for livestock-related facilities and equipment, including livestock waste management facilities, feed handling machinery, livestock management facilities, and emergency power generation equipment, operated as an intermediary with the Livestock Environment Improvement Organization.
• Employee Welfare Program (福利厚生事業) Welfare benefit program for members, including occupational accident compensation insurance coverage for industry participants.
• Livestock Information Services (畜産情報(牛肉)事業) Comprehensive livestock data service providing information on cattle inventory by type, sex, and age, regional breeding statistics, national calf market trading data, and market intelligence reports to support member decision-making.
• Carcass Competitions (枝肉共励会) Regular beef carcass judging competitions for both Kuroge Washu (Japanese Black cattle) and crossbred breeds, held at the Tokyo Central Wholesale Meat Market to improve fattening technology and profitability among members.
• Japanese Beef Export Promotion (国産牛肉輸出等促進事業) Initiatives to promote the export of Japanese beef and agricultural products internationally, coordinated with the Japan Livestock Products Export Promotion Council.
• Japanese Beef Sales Promotion Fair (国産牛肉販売促進フェア) Marketing and sales promotion activities for domestically produced beef, including the '29(niku) no Hi' promotional campaign.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cattle collateral financing pioneered in Japan (2004) and now widely adopted across agricultural lending
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) / 農林水産省coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry providing policy guidance, subsidy programs (牛マルキン, 肉用子牛生産者補給金), and regulatory oversight for the beef cattle industry. The cooperative actively engages in policy advocacy with MAFF for trade negotiations, price stabilization, and farm support measures.
• Livestock Improvement Center / 独立行政法人 家畜改良センターcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment research institute providing cattle breeding and genetic improvement services. A memorial monument for cattle lost to foot-and-mouth disease was jointly established at the center's facilities.
• Livestock Environment Improvement Organization / (一財)畜産環境整備機構coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe cooperative acts as the implementing organization (受託団体) for the Livestock Environment Improvement Organization's leasing programs, facilitating equipment and facility leasing for members.
• Central Livestock Association / (公社)中央畜産会coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral industry organization for livestock in Japan. The cooperative collaborates on industry events, disaster response, and industry promotion activities.
• Japan Meat Grading and Trading Association / (公社)日本食肉格付協会coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry body providing beef quality grading services. Cooperates with the cooperative on carcass competitions (共励会) held at Tokyo Central Wholesale Meat Market.
• Japan Livestock Products Export Promotion Council / 日本畜産物輸出促進協議会supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational council promoting export of Japanese livestock products. The cooperative participates in export promotion efforts for Japanese beef under the unified brand.
• Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) NetworksupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCooperative network for feed distribution and agricultural supply purchasing across Japan, enabling collective procurement of feed and supplies for members.
• National Beef Cattle Promotion Fund Association / (一社)全国肉用牛振興基金協会supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association supporting beef cattle production and management stability. The cooperative collaborates on policy and financial support programs.
• Japanese Feed Manufacturers (協同飼料, 中部飼料)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeed manufacturers providing cooperative-branded feed products to members at reduced prices through collective purchasing arrangements established by the cooperative.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• National Federation of Dairy Farming Cooperatives (全国酪農業協同組合連合会): This is the national cooperative federation for Japanese dairy farmers, operating a similar service-portfolio-plus-finance model for milk producers. It is comparable because it demonstrates the cooperative service model applied to an adjacent livestock segment (dairy vs. beef), and serves as a structural peer in cooperative-led livestock producer support.

Direct peers

• Central Livestock Association (中央畜産会): Central Livestock Association is a central industry body coordinating livestock producer support, training, and policy advocacy in Japan. It is directly comparable because it delivers nationwide services to livestock producers and serves as a counterpart to the cooperative on industry events, disaster response, and government relations.
• National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (Zen-Noh / 全農): Zen-Noh is the national marketing and supply federation of the JA Group, handling collective purchasing of feed, fertilizers, and agricultural inputs and marketing of farm products. It is directly comparable because it performs the same collective-purchasing and producer-support function for Japanese farmers that this cooperative performs specifically for beef cattle producers.

Emerging players

• Livestock Improvement Association of Japan (家畜改良事業団): The Livestock Improvement Association provides cattle breeding, genetic improvement, and registration services to Japanese producers. It is comparable because it operates in an adjacent cattle-services niche with overlapping membership, and the cooperative has established a memorial monument at its facility, indicating a close operational relationship.
• Japan Meat Grading Association (日本食肉格付協会): JMGA performs beef carcass quality grading and co-organizes the carcass competitions referenced in the cooperative's products. It is comparable because it operates an adjacent service directly relevant to beef cattle producer economics and partners with the cooperative on member-facing quality events.

Broad incumbents

• JA Bank (Norinchukin Bank / 農林中央金庫): Norinchukin Bank is the central bank for Japan's agricultural and fisheries cooperatives, providing financing to JA members including livestock producers. It is comparable because it provides cooperative-channel agricultural lending services that overlap with the cooperative's cattle-collateral financing offering, though at much larger institutional scale.
• Agriculture & Livestock Industries Corporation (ALIC / 農畜産業振興機構): ALIC is a Japanese government-affiliated corporation administering subsidy and stabilization programs including the cattle margin (Marukin) program referenced on the cooperative's website. It is comparable because it is a key institutional counterparty in beef cattle producer support and price stabilization, operating at broader national-policy scale.
• JA Group (Japan Agricultural Cooperatives / 全国農業協同組合): The JA Group is Japan's largest agricultural cooperative network, encompassing credit, marketing, and supply services for farmers nationwide. It is comparable because it operates a similar cooperative-based service model for agricultural producers, though at much larger scale and broader scope across all agricultural sectors, not just beef cattle.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Beef Cattle Business Cooperative Association