Tokyo and Beijing to discuss easing Japanese food import ban

TOKYO, Jan. 6 — Japan and China may soon set up a working group to discuss easing a ban on Japanese food imports imposed after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, informed sources have said. China is the No.4 export market for Japanese seafood and agriculture products, after Hong Kong, the United States and Taiwan. Yet, the ban has remained in place on all the food imports from 10 prefectures affected by the accident. They are Fukushima, Tokyo, Niigata, Nagano, Miyagi, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama and Chiba. Beijing also hasn’t resumed the importing of vegetables and fruits from other prefectures, according to Japanese officials. Experts say that the food … Continue reading

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【Editorial】The United Nations’ Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028 offers chance to rethink the future of agriculture (Dec. 27, 2017)

The United Nations has adopted the period between 2019 and 2028 as the Decade of Family Farming. Japan, which is accelerating structural reform including expanding the size of farms, should recognize this global trend and put priority of agricultural policies on family farming. We should make this an opportunity to think about the future directions of agriculture. In 2015, the U.N. member states adopted a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty and hunger as well as protecting the global environment, with specific targets to be achieved by 2030. In achieving the SDGs, this time the members acknowledged the importance of the role of family farms, which produce … Continue reading

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Shinmei ties up with BreadTalk to export Japan-grown wheat

TOKYO, Dec. 31 — Shinmei Co., Japan’s largest rice wholesaler and owner of  Genki Sushi, has tied up with Singapore’s food and beverage company BreadTalk Group to export wheat grown in Japan to the global market. Kobe-based Shinmei and BreadTalk have set up a joint venture, BTG-Shinmei Venture, with a capital of 3 million Singapore dollars, according to a Dec. 22 press release. BTG holds a 66 percent stake, while Shinmei owns the remaining 34 percent, it said. Shinmei officials said that BreadTalk Group had already started selling some bread that use Japan-grown wheat at its outlets and wants to introduce more items that use high-quality Japanese wheat. BreadTalk Group, … Continue reading

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Agriculture comics making hits in slow-selling manga market, “Wana Girl” by farmer’s son gains followers by describing reality of hunting

TOKYO, Dec. 27 — A farm-grown high school girl’s battle against birds and animals – it’s the theme of a recent hit comic that runs in a Japanese manga magazine called “Dengeki Maoh” since May last year. The comic, “Wana Girl (School girl/animal trapper),” succeeded to get a following and came in a comic book on December 27, 2017. Young people today buy fewer comics and manga magazines, and comic book circulation is falling dramatically. But this is not the case with the comics about farmers and the farm industry and some comics are making hits by focusing on rural farm life which used to be unpopular among young generations … Continue reading

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Japan helps meat producers to meet EU’s residue standards

TOKYO, Dec. 27 — Japan has stepped up efforts to make conditions for sanitary certification of livestock farms producing pork and poultry to meet requirements for exporting to the EU market. The government earmarked 400 million yen to facilitate agricultural exports in a supplementary budget for the current fiscal year ending in March 2018. The agriculture ministry will use the financial support for meat producers to test whether their samples have pesticide residues in excess of the EU’s allowable limits. The move coincides with the timing of Tokyo and Brussels aim to bring the trade agreement into effect in early 2019. Through the agreement, the EU will scrap tariffs on … Continue reading

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