Category Archives: Farm Policy

【News】Japanese Government to promote campaign of “farm stay tours” in fiscal 2017 (May 14, 2017)

The Japanese Government launches a full-fledged campaign to promote “farm stay tours” at rural communities in agricultural, mountainous and fishery villages. The campaign aims at stimulating new demand for tours visiting rural areas which leads to increases in local people’s income and employment. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has appropriated 5 billion yen in a budget for the “farm stay tour” promotion campaign beginning in fiscal 2017. MAFF’s budget is earmarked to subsidize “village revitalization bodies” such as non-profit organizations and other local residents’ associations initiating a farm stay business. The subsidy will partly meet costs of working out tour programs in respective rural villages as well … Continue reading

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【News】Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Support Act enacted in Japan (May 13, 2017)

A bill for Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Support Act was passed in a plenary session of the House of Councilors on May 12 by a majority vote, mostly led by members of ruling parties. Shinzo Abe’s administration has been advocating an enactment of the bill as a centerpiece of agricultural reform-related bills, which aims at proceeding realignment of the agricultural industry so as to promote price reduction of farm inputs as well as streamline distribution of agricultural products. Yuji Yamamoto, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries told the press after the Cabinet meeting on the same day that his Ministry will make efforts to draft ministerial ordinances for the Act as … Continue reading

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【News】 Fences against wild animals in Japan long enough to wrap around the earth almost 1.5 times (April 12, 2017)

A total length of fences installed to prevent crop damages by wild birds and animals reached to 59 thousand kilometers in fiscal 2015, that is long enough to wrap around the earth almost 1.5 times (estimated circumference of the earth about 40 thousand km), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) said in its latest report. In a number of mountainous regions in Japan, fences are installed not only around farm lands, but also at boundaries between mountain forests and villages for the purpose of preventing wild animals from entering agricultural fields. MAFF has been counting a total length of the fences installed against wild animals with MAFF’s subsidy … Continue reading

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