US-Japan trade deal takes effect on Jan 1

TOKYO, Jan. 1 – The US-Japan trade agreement entered into effect on January 1, 2020. Immediately, Japan lowered tariffs on US products, including beef and pork, to the level equivalent to the rates under the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). For Japan, the bilateral pact is the third significant trade agreement that follows the TPP and the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU). In the fiscal year 2018, the total value of agricultural imports from the member countries of the three trade agreements to Japan exceeded 99% of the total. With the new pact, however, the country is granting its competitors greater access to its agricultural market than … Continue reading

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Wagyu production surges in Europe Japan’s livestock association urge to keep track of wagyu genetic resource globally

TOKYO, Dec. 15 – The production of WAGYU-brand beef, which is genetically wagyu (Japanese beef) but born and raised overseas, is increasing in Europe rapidly, according to a research done by Japan Livestock Technology Association. The report said wagyu breed cattle were introduced to Europe through the importation of embryos and semen from the U.S. and Australia, and full-blood and F1 breed cattle are grown in Europe and sold in Europe and the Middle East. There are concerns about possible competition with Japanese farmers who want to expand the export of wagyu born and raised in Japan, but also, the association pointed out the needs to have better control over … Continue reading

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ZEN-NOH subsidiary’s Sakura Rice winning popularity among food business operators overseas

TOKYO, Dec. 12 – ZEN-NOH International Corporation has started to export “Sakura Rice,” a rinse-free rice brand created exclusively for food business operators. On the back of the growing popularity of Japanese food in the world, the subsidiary of the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (ZEN-NOH) aims at exploring new opportunities in the export market with the new business-use rice brand. The primary advantages of Sakura Rice are “made in Japan” and effectiveness in cooking processes, and multiple foodservice chains in Singapore, the country with many Japanese restaurants, have already started to use Sakura Rice. So, the ZEN-NOH affiliate thinks it has a high chance of expanding the market … Continue reading

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[Joy of Noh no Ikebana] Sugino Tamura, 75, from Agui Town, Aichi Prefecture: The arrangement featuring red nandina will brighten up our happy holiday season

“I met with Noh no Ikebana for the first time in 1989 when the master of Noh no Ikebana, Toshie Yokoi (1912-2004), came to the agricultural cooperative in my hometown in Aichi Prefecture, then Higashi Chita Nokyo which is now JA Aichi Chita. I thought it was interesting, so I went to see her. Then I was astonished by the idea of giving a new life to a twisted daikon radish, something that I used to do away with, as a star in her arrangement. I still remember the moment Ms. Yokoyama told us that this is something only we farmers can do. Since then, whenever I see uniquely-shaped vegetables, … Continue reading

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Urban Agriculture World Summit in Nerima, Tokyo, agrees to show the world how useful it is

Tokyo, Dec. 2 – On December 1, 2019, Urban Agriculture World Summit (UAWS) in Nerima ward, Tokyo, ended with a joint communique adopted by experts on urban farming from Japan, the U.S., the U.K., Canada, South Korea, and Indonesia. The host of the event, Nerima ward, invited farmers, governments, NPO officials, and experts working on urban farming in cities in the six countries. They discussed and agreed on the importance of communicating the advantages and potential of urban agriculture to the world. Also, they confirmed that they would work closely together to promote the further development of urban farming. In the declaration, they said the urban farming provides the basis … Continue reading

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