Category Archives: Cooperatives

TOKYO, Dec. 21 ― Japan’s largest farmers’ group has invested in Yuwaeru Co. Ltd., a Tokyo-based startup that specializes in manufacturing prepackaged brown rice, continuing its aggressive move to seek out growth business. JA ZEN-NOH, the National Federation of Agriculture Cooperative Associations, the marketing arm of JA group, said on Dec. 20 that it acquired an undisclosed stake in Yuwaeru through a third-party allocation of newly issued shares. The equity investment took place in November 2018, enabling JA group to push for sales of Japanese-grown brown rice at home and abroad. Brown rice is known as a superfood owing to its multitude of nutritional benefits. That makes it a healthier … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Dec. 14 ― JA ZEN-NOH Grain Corp., a marketing subsidiary of Japan’s largest farmers’ cooperative, said its Canadian unit has agreed to set up a joint venture with Canada’s Parrish & Heimbecker to build a new export terminal at the port of Vancouver. The terminal will provide 4 million metric tons of annual handling capacity, said Japan’s National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (JA ZEN-NOH) on Dec. 12. The move comes as Canadian grain exports to China continues to grow and the JA ZEN-NOH, the marketing arm of JA group, needed to secure a stable supply of grains for animal feeds to Japan. Construction on the new terminal has … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Dec. 14 – Toru Nakaya, head of the Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (JA-ZENCHU), on Dec. 12 called on the government to place food security at the center of its 10-year Basic Plan on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas. Addressing reporters, Nakaya said ensuring food security is becoming increasingly important amid shrinking farming population, decrease in farmland, increasing trade liberalization, rapid growth in global population and recurrence of disasters. Citing forecasts by the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, he said Japan’s agricultural population is expected to continue declining, dropping to 1.22 million in 2025, down 40 percent from 2015. He expressed concern over the fact that the rate … Continue reading →

YAMANASHI, Dec. 20 – An agricultural cooperative in Yamanashi Prefecture, JA Fruits Yamanashi, has started to sell this year a limited version of a popular grape variant Shine Muscat, “Christmas Shine.” By combining the popular variant and the jolly year-end festivity, it intends to add value to the products. Trademark registration for “Christmas Shine” was obtained on November 9. It will come in a fancy box, only one piece in each box, with a pretty red tag that says “Christmas Shine Muscat” in impressive gold letters. They also put a bell to connect it to Christmas and a white Japanese traditional washi wrapping paper to give it an image of … Continue reading →

KUROISHI, Nov. 9 ― Apple growers in Aomori prefecture are geared toward exports. The regional farmers cooperatives in Aomori, including the JA Tsugaru Mirai, have reduced prices of Japanese apples by exporting smaller-sized “Sugoi” apples. Sugoi means terrific or excellent in Japanese. Typically, the size of Japanese apples is big, but Aomori apple growers started selling smaller-sized one so the prices is lower, allowing them to tap into new markets in Southeast Asia. The growers named it Sugoi apple, because it tastes great, even though it may not be as big as Fuji apple. The farmers’ groups also have made a special portable package, which has a portrayal of Japanese … Continue reading →