Category Archives: Cooperatives

The proposals on agricultural cooperatives, released on Friday, Nov. 11, by the government’s Regulatory Reform Promotion Council, are apparently targeted at shifting focus of debate on agricultural coops reform back to drastic dismantling of the farm coops group which hit the headlines two years before. The key points of the proposals include abolishing the system of farmers entrusting sales of their products to the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (ZEN-NOH) and transferring primary farm coops (JAs)’ financial business to Norinchukin Bank. Such measures could threaten agricultural cooperatives’ businesses and do not in any way lead to realizing the initial aim of agricultural coops reform, which is to boost agricultural … Continue reading →

An agricultural working group of the Council for Promotion of Regulatory Reform, Government’s advisory panel, which is chaired by Yasufumi Kanamaru, president of Future Architect, Inc., announced a proposal on agricultural reform on November 11. The working group first recommends that ZEN-NOH (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Association) or a national business organization of agricultural cooperatives (JAs) should abolish its existing business system of marketing farm products which is based on consignment practice, and launch a new system of purchasing products from farmers to sell them in the market at its own risk. The Shinzo Abe’s administration advisory panel also urges that a half of some 660 agricultural cooperatives (JAs) … Continue reading →

The Council for Promotion of Regulatory Reform, Shinzo Abe’s administration advisory panel, made a final list of recommendations, on November 7, concerning reforms which are to be implemented by ZEN-NOH (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Association) or a national business organization of agricultural cooperatives (JAs) as well as by designated organizations of raw milk producers. One of the key recommendations made by the Council calls for ZEN-NOH to drastically reform its farm input supply business which receives commissions from farmers through its member JAs in accordance with supply prices of agricultural inputs. The panel urges that ZEN-NOH should reform its supply business into a kind of consulting service which provides … Continue reading →

ZEN-NOH (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Association) or a national business organization of agricultural cooperatives (JAs) will put its new project into practice next March, which is to operate agricultural supply stores jointly with JAs for a purpose of supplying fertilizers, chemicals and other inputs directly to farmers. ZEN-NOH aims at making farmers increase their satisfaction with a wider selection of farm inputs at the supply stores or agrocenters by managing inventory in more efficient manners through its supply network crossing over prefectural borders. It is expected that ZEN-NOH’s business function will make it possible for JA’s agrocenter to avoid taking a risk of overstock. ZEN-NOH will open the first … Continue reading →

JA-ZENCHU (Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives) or an apex body of agricultural cooperatives (JAs) in Japan held the first session of consecutive “Top Forum” in Osaka city on November 1, which is to be organized at six cities this month in the country. JA-ZENCHU aims at successfully promoting a three-year campaign of self-reforms in agricultural cooperative activities, which were pledged by JAs’ representatives throughout the country at their 27th National Convention held last autumn, by confirming a steady progress of the campaign in its first year with executive leaders of JAs at the Top Forum. Participants in the Top Forum particularly shared practical experiences among themselves in raising agricultural income … Continue reading →