Author Archives: The Japan Agricultural News

Japan to resume new entries by technical interns

TOKYO, Nov. 6 – The Japanese government announced on Nov. 5 that it will relax entry restrictions for technical interns imposed under the COVID-19 pandemic. Foreign nationals coming to the country as technical interns will be accepted after those responsible for inviting them submit necessary documents including a written pledge and a training plan to relevant ministries and receive approval. As for the agriculture sector, farmers should file applications to the agriculture ministry to host technical interns. Applications will be accepted starting at 10 a.m. on Nov. 8. The agriculture ministry hopes easing of entry restrictions will help solve the problem of labor shortage in the farm sector. In January, … Continue reading

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Japanese farmers hit hard by quadruple woes: rising cost of crude oil, farming materials, feeds, and fertilizers

TOKYO, Nov. 4 -Farmers are facing immense hardship this winter. The rising oil prices are driving up the cost of farming materials made from fuel oil and petroleum products. With the prices of fertilizers and feeds continuing to rise, farmers in Japan are facing quadruple difficulties. The overall production cost is increasing, but they can’t reflect the additional burden on the prices of agricultural products. -Farmers trying to save crude oil as much as possible Kunihiko Sunouchi, a 44-year-old green pepper grower in Kamisu City, Ibaraki Prefecture, filled his oil tank in mid-October, about two weeks earlier than usual. Green peppers require more precise temperature control than other vegetables, and … Continue reading

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Tokyo-based fruits and vegetable wholesaler adopts very Japanese cardboard boxes for export

TOKYO, Oct. 13 – Japan’s largest fruits and vegetables wholesale company has recently adopted all-new designs for export cardboard boxes. They are created to give a very distinctive image of Japan and differentiate genuine Japanese products from others. Also, they are designed to fit perfectly on pallets for improved loading efficiency. Tokyo Seika Corporation collaborates with Wismettac Foods, Inc., an exporter of “SUGOI” series products, and the boxes are made by Rengo Co., Ltd., a paper box manufacturer. The wholesaler started using the boxes this year, initially for satsumaimo (sweet potatoes) and mikan (tangerine oranges). “We want to differentiate our products (from fake made-in-Japan products in the markets) using these … Continue reading

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EU lifts some restrictions on food imports from Japan

TOKYO, Oct. 10 – The European Union will ease its import restrictions on some Japanese food products effective October 10, 2021. EU introduced the restrictions after the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant accident. Under the rule, it has been requesting exporters of mushrooms from Fukushima and five other Japanese prefectures to submit certificates of radiological examination and other prefectures certificates of origin. These certificates are no longer required except for the wild mushrooms and some wild mountain vegetables such as koshiabura, a popular ingredient for tempura Japanese classic deep-fried dish. EU announced the plan for the rule change on September 20. Norwegian and … Continue reading

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New agriculture minister asks senior officials to actively review policies

TOKYO, Oct. 7 – New agriculture minister Genjiro Kaneko asked for an aggressive review of farm policies in a speech in front of the ministry’s senior officials on Oct. 6. “The agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector is the nation’s basis that supports regional economy and society,” Kaneko said. “I hope you will be free from the conventional approach and review policies aggressively. I want to bring together our wisdom.” Kaneko listed the challenges faced by the sector, including a decline in the number of farms and shrinking demand for farm produce amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “The importance of the role which the farm ministry should play is increasing even more,” … Continue reading

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