Category Archives: Cooperatives

A farmer-support team of Saku-Asama Agricultural Cooperative (JA) in Nagano prefecture has achieved remarkable results in helping agricultural newcomers to settle in the JA’s territory. Members of the support team, veteran staff members who have been re-employed after retiring on reaching retirement age from the JA, maintain “face-to-face interactions” with member farmers including new entrants in farming. They work to support members’ farm managements by providing member farmers with advices based on their own experiences and local knowledge. The functions played by the three-member team are well working especially to support agricultural newcomers. The team members provide on-farm supports to the newcomers with information useful for settlement in a rural … Continue reading →

Shinya Fujiki, 49, a candidate of the ruling party LDP (Liberal Democratic Party), won a seat in proportional representation segment of the Upper House election on July 10. He was recommended by a political wing of agricultural cooperative’s (JA’s) organizations named as the National Association of Farmers’ Agricultural Policy Movement Organizations or “Zenkoku-Noseikyo.” Farmers have been increasingly anxious about problems to be faced in coming years. And worries about radical reform of farm policies are widely prevailing among farmers at rural communities in the country. During an election campaign, LDP candidate Fujiki asserted his own view on the importance of reflecting opinions of farmers and their JAs into national farm … Continue reading →