Category Archives: Farm Policy

ISHIKAWA, Aug. 19 – The Ishikawa Prefectural Government said that Ruby Roman, a high-grade grape variety grown exclusively in the prefecture, has been registered as a trademark in South Korea in 2019 and 2020 by an unidentified person. Application for a variety registration in South Korea, which could have been taken as a countermeasure, is no longer possible because the period for filing the application overseas for the variety has expired, leaving growers with no options. The prefectural government is aiming to take stronger measures to prevent illicit outflow of seeds and saplings from the country or overseas distribution of products using the name Ruby Roman, making use of the … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Aug. 10 – Production of wagyu beef totaled 161,000 tons in 2020, up 9,000 tons, or 6 percent, from a year before, according to a survey by the agriculture ministry. The volume of production increased for four years in a row since 2017 and the ministry attributes the rise to the livestock producers clustering program that helped empower farmers’ businesses. In 2018, the ministry set a target of doubling the annual wagyu production from some 150,000 tons at the time to 300,000 tons in 2035 and has been taking measures to achieve the goal. Due to the decline in the number of breeding cows following the 2010 foot-and-mouth disease … Continue reading →

TOKYO, August 9 – The farm ministry of Japan has recently created virtual reality (VR) videos that offer a virtual experience of accidents in the agriculture, forestry, fisheries sectors, and the food industry. These industries have higher accident rates than others, and the videos aim to raise safety awareness further. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) also anticipates using the movies in training by prefectures and local agricultural cooperatives. MAFF produced six 3-minute VR videos on accidents in four sectors-livestock, food manufacturing, wood, and fishing-in collaboration with private companies. For example, the video for the livestock industry workers offers a virtual experience of a cow attack that broke … Continue reading →

TOKYO, July 21 – The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced on July 20 the launch of Nippon Food Shift, a national campaign aimed at closing the gap between consumers and food producers. The ministry will work together with the private sector to promote efforts made by the agriculture industry and farming villages, so that consumers will change their behavior and choose to buy domestically-made farm produce. The ministry set up a website on the campaign the same day and started soliciting ideas to inspire consumers to appreciate the origins of their food. The new basic plan for food, agriculture and rural areas, approved by the Cabinet in March … Continue reading →

TOKYO, July 6 – The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has released its strategy for sustainable food systems in English and French on its website, with a view to taking part in international rule-making efforts. The strategy, named MeaDRI, standing for measures for achievement of decarbonization and resilience with innovation, lists ways to reduce the environmental impact from agriculture by setting numerical targets to cut carbon emissions and use of chemical pesticides. According to the ministry’s Export and International Affairs Bureau, the English and French versions of the strategy focus especially on explaining specific challenges faced by Asia. The ministry sets a number of goals to be met by … Continue reading →