Category Archives: Cooperatives

【News】 JA and residents work together at revitalizing depopulated rural community with their own micro hydro (July 3, 2016)

Hida Agricultural Cooperative (JA) based at Hida-shi, Gifu prefecture, plans to operate a micro hydroelectric power station, so-called micro hydro, jointly with a company named “Sugo-Mirai (future) Development” which was set up by all the residents of 61 families living at a rural community of “Sugo” in Hida city. JA Hida and people of the “Sugo” community have agreed to cooperate in revitalizing the aging society by reclaiming abandoned farmlands as well as maintaining waterways in the village with incomes from selling electricity generated by hydro power. All the members of the “Sugo” community invested 3 million yen in total to establish the “Future Development” company in 2015 and signed … Continue reading

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【News】 “Brown Rice Coffee” launched with “home-grown flavor” by JA’s national business federation ZEN-NOH (July 2, 2016)

A new-type coffee specially blended with brown rice produced in Japan was just debuted this July by ZEN-NOH (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations), JA’s (agricultural cooperative’s) national business organization, headquartered at Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. ZEN-NOH developed a manufacturing technology of processing an equal amount of roasted coffee beans and brown rice into “brown rice coffee” for brewing at home, which successfully makes good use of the flavor and sweetness of rice. “Brown rice coffee” is expected to appeal its originality in the domestic market of coffee and also make a contribution to an increase in rice consumption in the country. ZEN-NOH’s unique “brown rice coffee” is applicable to home brewers … Continue reading

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【News】 JA Shimogo’s “mobile bathroom” runs in the Kumamoto earthquake-hit areas (June 28, 2016)

Shimogo Agricultural Cooperative (JA), based at Nakatsu-shi in Oita prefecture neighboring to earthquake-hit Kumamoto prefecture, has continued to support quake victims living at evacuation centers of cities and villages in Kumamoto prefecture. JA Shimogo’s activity for supporting those victims is still being implemented with its own “mobile bathroom,” which provides an opportunity for those people to enjoy bathing in a Japanese-style bathtub. “A Kumamoto support team” of JA Shimogo has been sent with the “mobile bathroom” to Kumamoto prefecture ten times since the prefecture was struck by powerful earthquakes in the middle of this April. A loading space of JA’s refrigerated two-ton truck for transporting fresh farm products was modified … Continue reading

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【News】 ZEN-NOH’s affiliate to initiate marketing prepared ingredients of local farm products for preschools (June 28, 2016)

Pure Dish Co., Ltd., an affiliate of ZEN-NOH (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations), based at Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi in Chiba prefecture, plans to increase supplies of prepared ingredients to preschool education facilities such as kindergartens and nursery schools this year. Most of these facilities are suffering from a labor shortage at their kitchen, which makes it difficult for the cooking staff to take a lot of time to cook lunch meals for the children. People of the preschool facilities have been growing their interests in the Pure Dish’s high technologies of producing and preserving meal ingredients without spoiling flavor and nutrition of the ingredients. Supplies of these ingredients by the … Continue reading

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【News】 Farmers’ cooperative and Fishermen’s cooperative to successfully collaborate to keep the marine resources sustainable by producing “starfish compost” (June 18, 2016)

Farmers’ attempt to solve the problem faced by fishermen is now being made to achieve a successful result at Tsubetsu-cho located in the north-eastern part of Hokkaido. The keyword of their joint project is a “starfish.” The farmer’s organization is taking an initiative to produce the compost for local farmers with the starfish which are natural enemies of the scallops. The scallop is one of the major specialties of the Tsubetsu town, but the scallop culture in the sea has been damaged by the starfish. This joint project has been carried out by three partners of Tsubetsu Agricultural Cooperative (JA), Abashiri Fisheries Cooperative and Nishi-Abashiri Fisheries Cooperative since 2013. The … Continue reading

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