Category Archives: Farm Policy

TOKYO, Dec. 1 ― Japan and Uruguay, the world’s No. 7 beef exporter, have agreed to lift bans each other’s beef imports, which could boost competition in Japan’s lucrative beef market. Shipments of eligible Japanese beef is now allowed to enter Uruguay without any age limit conditions, the Japanese agriculture ministry said on Nov. 30. Japan banned beef imports from Uruguay in 2000 due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Since then, Uruguay used massive vaccination. In 2003, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) declared Uruguay as free of FMD with vaccination, opening new export prospects for the South American country. Still, Japan was the only major importing … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 28 ― The Japanese government is set to draw a smart farm program by next summer to develop and adapt digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT), into the agricultural sector. The Shinzo Abe administration had a meeting on digital transformation in agriculture on Nov. 27. “To take the agriculture sector to new heights, it’s inevitable to realize smart farm with AI and IoT,” Japanese Agriculture Minister Takamori Yoshikawa said at the meeting. As technology develops, it will change the entire agriculture businesses and require growers to acquire new skills and a better understanding of the technologies. There will be three elements to … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 28 ― Japan has reached a deal that will open the door for its exports of shell eggs to South Korea, as the neighboring country is fighting its worst outbreak of highly pathogenic avian flu that has devastated the poultry industry, Japanese government and industry official said. “I hope it will boost egg exports to Korea,” said Japanese Agriculture Minister Takamori Yoshikawa at a Nov. 27 press conference. The Japanese agriculture ministry has been negotiating with South Korea’s government since September 2016 to enable shipments of Japanese-grown shell eggs for traditional Korean dishes, such as bibimbap and yukke, which normally accompany with a raw egg on top. The … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Dec. 9 ― Japan’s upper house of parliament has approved an immigration bill, which accepts more foreign blue-collar workers from April next year, a controversial move for the country that is known for highly restrictive immigration policies. Under the new bill, two new categories of visas for foreign workers will be created. One category allows blue-collar workers to stay up to five years in Japan but cannot bring family. The other is for more skilled workers who can bring family and could be eligible for residency. The new bill is designed to tackle labor shortages in 14 sectors, including agriculture, aged-care nursing, and construction, in the face of the … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 30 ― China has lifted its seven-year import ban on rice from Niigata prefecture, which was imposed in the wake of the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima. On Nov. 28, the Chinese government announced its decision to approve rice imports from Niigata, one of Japan’s most renowned rice producers, following scientific assessment on food safety. The move came after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during his groundbreaking visit Beijing in October. Relations between Asia’s two biggest economies have rapidly warmed up, as tensions between China and the United States have spilled over from the trade war into a number of other strategic areas. … Continue reading →