Author Archives: The Japan Agricultural News

【News】 Japanese government to introduce “positive list” system for food-contact materials in 2018 (May 7, 2017)

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) decided to adopt a new “positive list” system for food-contact materials in order to impose restriction on substances that may be used in raw materials of food containers and packaging materials such as cooking utensils and lunch boxes contacting directly with foods. The existing “negative list” system that bans uses of certain substances for food packaging materials is not regulating uses of materials except these substances. MHLW plans to replace the “negative list” system with the “positive list” system by revising the Food Sanitation Law in 2018. The revision of the Law aims at reducing risk that hazardous substances are mixed into … Continue reading

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【News】Possible success reported in artificial culture of phytoplasma (May 7, 2017)

Artificial culture of phytoplasma – a pathogenic microorganism that causes a wide variety of symptoms in plants ranging from dwarfing and yellowing to withering – may have become a reality. It has been said that phytoplasmas cannot be grown in axenic culture. But in late April, plant pathologist Kunihei Kishi, 90, presented in the meeting of the Phytopathological Society of Japan that he has succeeded in culturing the microbe in vitro. If the genetic sequence analysis proves the presence of phytoplasmas in the culture fluid, it will be the world’s first successful culture of the organism. Kishi extracted from mulberry trees microorganisms which appear to have caused a phytoplasma-associated disease, … Continue reading

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【News】 “TPP 11” negotiators agree only on continuous talks on implementation of U.S.-less trade pact (May 5, 2017)

The first working level meeting of so-called TPP 11, a Trans-Pacific Partnership without the United States, was held on May 2-3 at Toronto, Canada. After the meeting, the chief Japanese negotiator for the TPP, Keiichi Katakami, told the press that TPP’s eleven member countries will continue to pursue an appropriate direction of their future talks, saying “We eleven countries could agree to move discussions forward so as not to lose the momentum of the TPP.” The Japanese government aims at making an agreement among the eleven member countries of the TPP so that the existing TPP free trade deal should take effect without overhauling the pact. Governments of Australia and … Continue reading

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【News】Our Noh no Ikebana:“Even roots have a role to play,” says Fukuko Kako from Obu city, Aichi Prefecture (May 5, 2017)

Fukuko Kako, 68, from Obu city, Aichi Prefecture, talks about how she enjoys Noh no Ikebana. “I use fruits and vegetables that I grow and the most interesting part of Noh no Ikebana for me is that I can make unique arrangements. Moreover, I can do this without spending any on materials. The happiest moment comes when I watch someone get excited to see things which are not familiar to nonfarmers. They often get excited to see purple spring onions and blueberry flowers and say happily, “Oh, I’ve never seen this before!” I once received a letter from a person from Kyoto, which tells that she was “so moved” to … Continue reading

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【Opinion】Independence essential for agricultural cooperatives (May 2, 2017)

[By Masaru Yamada, The Japan Agricultural News Special Senior Writer] Last week, Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organization held a five-day workshop in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, to discuss development of Asian rural villages and the role of farmers’ cooperatives. More than 20 people from 12 countries, including bureaucrats, executives of agricultural organizations, officials of nonprofit organizations and university faculty members, participated in the workshop. It was surprising to see that although the goal of the workshop was to reaffirm the role of cooperatives in increasing the value of agriculture, many of the attendants voiced criticism over the current farm coops. Some pointed out that agricultural coops are government-led organizations, with … Continue reading

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