*

Mitsui ( MITSF ), Marubeni ( MARUF ), Itochu ( ITOCF ) benefit from food businesses

*

Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway ( BRK/A ) holds minority stakes in

Japanese

trading houses

(Wraps trading houses results, releads, adds details and

background)

By Katya Golubkova and Yuka Obayashi

TOKYO, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Higher profits at the

diversified food businesses run by Japanese trading houses

offset weaker performances at their commodities units,

disclosures by Mitsui ( MITSF ), Marubeni ( MARUF ) and Itochu ( ITOCF ) showed on Friday.

This diversification from the traditional commodity trading

businesses at Itochu ( ITOCF ), Marubeni ( MARUF ), Mitsui ( MITSF )

is part of what drew Warren Buffett's Berkshire

Hathaway ( BRK/A ) to take minority stakes in the companies.

Profits at Mitsui ( MITSF ) for the three months ended on

June 30 fell 31% from a year earlier partly because of weaker

iron ore prices but income at its lifestyle unit, including

overseas shrimp and broiler processing as well as domestic

foods, grew by around 1 billion yen, accounting for 8% of the

total 191.6 billion yen ($1.3 billion) the company earned.

Marubeni's ( MARUF ) food and agriculture business saw a profit

increase of 4 billion yen for the same period to 35.5 billion

yen, or 23% of its 154.4 billion yen total. Income at the

company's metals and mineral resources unit fell by 6 billion

yen to 28.7 billion yen.

Itochu's ( ITOCF ) profits from its food business rose by nearly 10

billion yen to a record 28.8 billion yen while profits at its

FamilyMart convenience store chain rose by 4.5 billion yen to

15.4 billion yen. Combined, they made 16% of Itochu's ( ITOCF ) 284

billion yen quarterly net profit, highest so far.

Mitsui ( MITSF ), Marubeni ( MARUF ) and Itochu ( ITOCF ) kept their full fiscal year

profit forecasts unchanged on Friday at 770 billion yen, 510

billion yen and 900 billion yen, respectively.

($1 = 150.4600 yen)