Category Archives: Cooperatives

【News】 Member farmers of Inashiki Agricultural Cooperative celebrate the debut of GI Mark-labeled “Edosaki-pumpkins” in the market, Ibaraki prefecture (May 19, 2016)

“Edosaki-pumpkin” producers’ organization of Inashiki Agricultural Cooperative (JA), based at Inashiki-shi, Ibaraki prefecture, celebrated the first shipment of members’ products this year on May 18, since the “Edosaki-pumpkin” was registered last December under the Geographical Indication (GI) Protection System in Japan, which was founded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) in June 2015. The “Edosaki-pumpkin” was authorized by MAFF as a GI product earlier than any other applicants. A MAFF-authorized GI label was affixed on each package of the pumpkins. In commemoration of the first marketing of the GI marked pumpkins, JA Inashiki has prepared a new brochure of the products and special flags to further promote … Continue reading

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【News】 Agricultural cooperatives’ volunteers gather in Kumamoto prefecture joining works of farm product shipments (May 3, 2016)

In Kumamoto earthquake-hit areas, members of a volunteer team sent by a number of agricultural cooperatives (JAs) in the country as well as by JA’s national organizations have been playing an active role in making up for the workforce shortage at marketing facilities of farm products operated by JAs and their federation in Kumamoto prefecture. 71 staff members of JAs and JA’s organizations, arriving at Kumamoto prefecture during four days since May 1, set up the third group of JA volunteers. Members of the group, wearing a uniform vest, are now engaged in works of grading and packing melons and mini-tomatoes at the Second Horticultural Product Collection and Distribution Center … Continue reading

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【News】 Japanese hunters’ organization to launch Drone for wildlife population survey (April 28, 2016)

Japan Hunters Association, Dainihon Ryouyukai, headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, plans to conduct a survey of the population of wild animals such as Japanese deer and wild boars with a Drone, a small unmanned aerial vehicle. A new system has been developed for counting a number of wild animals from the sky. More accurate researches on the wildlife population are expected to be useful for effective measures to capture crop-raiding wild animals. In a traditional survey of the wildlife population, a number of wild animals including Japanese deer is estimated by various ways such as a visual inspection of animal’s population and herds, finding of their dungs and footprints, and calculations … Continue reading

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【News】 Agricultural cooperative’s welfare facility continuously provides care services seven days a week in Kumamoto earthquake-hit area (April 28, 2016)

A nursing care service facility of Kamimashiki Agricultural Cooperative (JA), called JA welfare center located at Yamato-cho in Kumamoto prefecture, has been continuously providing services for aged people living in JA’s area seven days a week since the powerful earthquake struck the Kumamoto prefecture on April 14. At the JA welfare center, water supply was temporarily suspended and some of its facilities were also damaged by the continuous aftershocks. Even under such conditions, its seven-day service provision of two meals deliveries to 250 aged people per day as well as home-visit care has not been suspended. Right after the earthquake hardly hit the area, Shioko Kita, general manager of the … Continue reading

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【News】 JAs’ offices and farmer’s markets increasingly installed with fast chargers for electric vehicles in rural villages (April 8, 2016)

Drivers of electric vehicles, running not on gasoline, but with an electric motor as a power source, have been steadily increasing in rural societies. Infrastructure for spreading electric automobiles has been consolidated in agricultural areas, enabling drivers to quickly charge their electric vehicles even at offices of an agricultural cooperative (JA) and farmer’s markets. Yoshinori Yokota, 51, producing blueberries at Shiranuka-cho in Hokkaido, sometimes drives as long as 150 kilometers per day to deliver his fresh blueberries and processed products. He has driven an electric automobile for four years and said “Although an electric car initially costed more than a gasoline-powered vehicle, it has resulted in a cost saving.” According … Continue reading

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