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Minn. Pork Board Aiding Disaster Relief In Japan

MANKATO, Minn. (AP) -- The Minnesota Pork Board is helping with disaster relief efforts in Japan.

The board is donating $50,000 worth of ready-to-eat pork meals for people in northern Japan, the region that was hardest hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami as well as the ongoing nuclear crisis.

The boxed, precooked lunches, known as "bentos" in Japan, will feature the U.S. pork industry symbol with a message of sympathy and support from U.S. pork producers on the packaging.

The Minnesota donation builds on a $100,000 contribution from the National Pork Board.

Japan is the largest foreign customer for U.S. pork, importing almost 6 percent of U.S. pork production in 2010.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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