TOKYO, March 2 — Japan will raise its sales prices for imported wheat by 3.5 percent from April, due to an increase in freight costs and global wheat prices as well as a weakening yen, informed sources said. The agriculture ministry will set the weighted average selling prices for five varieties at 54,370 yen a metric ton ($513 per metric ton). It will make an announcement on March 6. Japan is one of the largest wheat importing country, with 90 percent of 6 million metric tons of annual consumption coming from overseas, mainly the U.S., Canada and Australia. The agriculture ministry exclusively imports and resells the imported wheat to domestic … Continue reading →

TOKYO, March 3 — Japan’s strawberry growers have been perplexed with comments made by Japanese athletes who won a women’s curling bronze at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. At the post-race press conference last month, the Japanese curlers were reported as saying “Korean strawberries tasted delicious.” In fact, more than 90 percent of South Korea’s strawberry production is a variety of Japanese strawberry breeds, including “Red Peal”, “Aki Hime” and “Tochi Otome”, as they had been sent to South Korea without permission. “That convinced me that we have to combat agricultural theft of Japanese breeds,” said Japanese Agriculture Minister Ken Saito at a March 2 press … Continue reading →

Strawberry and grape breeds developed in Japan are being taken and produced abroad without permission, taking away export opportunities and resulting in economic losses for Japan. Since high-quality farm produce has big export potential, the government must step up efforts to facilitate registration of domestically-developed varieties in other countries to prevent unauthorized cultivation. The Japanese women’s curling team that won a bronze medal at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics last month attracted much public attention not only for their performances but also for the snacks, including strawberries, that the team members ate during breaks. The team members praised the taste of South Korean strawberries, but Japan’s farm minister Ken Saito brought … Continue reading →