Category Archives: Farm Policy

Japan selects mikan groves built on stone terraces in Wakayama as candidate for global agricultural heritage

TOKYO, Jan. 18 ­­— The agriculture ministry decided on Jan. 17 to nominate mikan citrus groves built on stone terraces in the Arida and Shimotsu regions in Wakayama Prefecture as a candidate for additions to the list of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) recognized by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The agriculture minister also newly selected as Japanese Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (J-NIAHS) two areas — the disaster risk diversification land use system at the foot of Mount Tabashine in Iwate Prefecture and the Yatsunuma reservoirs farming system using rainwater in the Hiki hills in Saitama Prefecture. Both programs designate areas where traditional … Continue reading

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Japan to review basic law on food, agriculture and rural areas amid growing threats to food security

TOKYO, Sept. 10 – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sept. 9 instructed the government’s headquarters for stable food supply and sustainable agriculture to review the basic law on food, agriculture and rural areas, known as the “constitution of agriculture policies,” with a view to revise it. Agriculture minister Tetsuro Nomura said the government will show the direction on what to do with the law in about a year while focusing on creating a consensus among the people. The points at issue are boosting self-sufficiency of farm produce, fertilizers and livestock feed. The law was enacted in 1999. It has served to set farm policies of today including nurturing and securing … Continue reading

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Japan External Trade Organization executive vice president says exports key to boost farmers’ income

TOKYO, Jan. 9 – As Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) focuses on pushing exports of farm produce and food products, its executive vice president Mitsuhito Sendai said it is important to help raise farmers’ income through boosting exports. In an interview with The Japan Agricultural News, Sendai stressed that JETRO will take measures to support efforts to further promote exports amid the COVID-19 pandemic, based on successful cases. He said he believes it is possible for Japan to meet the government’s target of exporting agricultural and food products totaling 5 trillion yen in 2030, adding that the nation may be able to export 10 trillion yen, considering the increase in … Continue reading

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Exports of Nikkori pears grown in Tochigi Prefecture rise fivefold in 2021 from a year before to hit record high

TOCHIGI, Jan. 9 – Overseas shipments of Nikkori pears produced in Tochigi Prefecture grew fivefold from a year before in 2021, hitting a record high of 57.7 tons, as local agricultural cooperatives made various efforts to promote the brand. Seven farm coops in the prefecture cooperate to secure the pears for exports as their humongous size appeals to foreign markets, while Zen-Noh Tochigi, responsible for sales and marketing, took on the tasks of negotiating with buyers, coordinating shipment volumes, obtaining export certificates and inspecting products, in order to ease the burden on the cooperatives. Nikkori is a large, late-maturing pear variety with good flavor, weighing 800 grams to a kilogram … Continue reading

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FY2020 feeding damage up 2%, stronger measures needed: Farm Ministry

TOKYO, Dec. 7 – Nationwide damage to agricultural products by wild birds and animals in Japan was 16.19 billion yen in the fiscal year 2021, up 2% from the year earlier, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF). The increase is attributable mainly to the rise in crop damage by deer in Hokkaido, while the damage by wild boars also rose in some areas. MAFF called on prefecture and municipal governments to reinforce measures by implementing an intensive nationwide campaign to catch wild birds and animals that can cause agricultural damage in the fiscal year 2021. The wildlife damage in Japan once declined for six … Continue reading

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