Category Archives: Farm Policy

Government mulls accepting skilled foreign workers in agriculture

TOKYO, Feb. 21 – The government has begun considering accepting more foreign workers in industries with increasingly serious labor shortage including the agricultural sector. In order to secure workers, it plans to ease conditions for allowing foreign people with advanced skills to stay in the country to work. However, there are also concerns that the move could open up farm work to foreign workers in general, giving impact to employment of Japanese people. Addressing the Economic and Fiscal Policy Council meeting on Feb. 20, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said there is an urgent need to review the system of accepting foreign people with professional and technical skills. Specific measures regarding … Continue reading

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Demand of imported rice for food service is strong in Japan

TOKYO, Feb. 21 — Japan’s purchases of imported rice have reached the limit of 100,000 metric tons through the simultaneous buy and sell (SBS) tendering system in fiscal 2017. The purchases highlight the shortage of cheap Japanese-grown rice for the food service industry. The fifth round of the SBS tenders in the fiscal year ending March 31 was held on Feb 20. A total of 14,898 metric tons of imported rice from all origins was successfully bid during the auction, fulfilling the target of 100,000 metric tons, the agriculture ministry said. Of those tons, the U.S. was the largest supplier with a market share of 58 percent, followed by Australia … Continue reading

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Japanese MPs oppose US renegotiating TPP; govt keeps silent

TOKYO, Feb. 22 — A group of Japanese MPs have reaffirmed their opposition to  the government renegotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with the United States. The MPs from the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who formed a group to protect the nation’s interests in the TPP held a meeting on Feb. 21. “TPP was a result of long and complex negotiations,” said Taku Eto, who chaired the meeting. “After simply dumping it, how could they (the U.S.) come back to unravel the whole process?” The move came as U.S. President Donald Trump said in January that he might consider rejoining the trade pact, if he could get a “better deal” … Continue reading

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Full text of TPP-11 deal lacks special treatment for U.S.

TOKYO, Feb. 23 – The full text of the new agreement under the Trans-Pacific Partnership framework without the United States was released on Feb. 21, but it does not include any preferential provisions to encourage the U.S. to rejoin the pact, which means if the U.S. wishes to be readmitted, it will be treated in the same way as any other country seeking membership. The new TPP agreement — now officially known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership — is designed in a way that consensus from all 11 members would be required were the U.S. to join the deal as a new member, and some interpret … Continue reading

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Japan’s fatality rate in farm accidents hit a record high in 2016

TOKYO, Feb. 14 — In Japan, 312 farm workers died of work-related injuries in 2016, about 70 percent of which involved machinery, including farm vehicles, according to the agriculture ministry. Farming is among the most dangerous occupations in Japan, with a fatality rate of 16.2 per 100,000 farmers — exceeding hazardous jobs such as those in the construction sector with a death-rate of 6 per 100,000 workers. Moreover, 81 percent of fatalities in the farm sector were people aged over 65, with a fatality rate of 20.3 per 100,000 farmers. “Those who are aged 65 and over are to normally retired in other sectors, but in the farm sector they … Continue reading

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