Category Archives: Cooperatives

The Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu) decided on Thursday, June 2, to name Choe Okuno as its new president. Okuno, 68, chief of the prefectural union of agricultural co-ops in Mie Prefecture, was picked as a result of voting by 251 representatives across the country. He will officially be appointed as president at an extraordinary meeting on Aug. 11. In the presidential election, which was held for the first time in 10 years after Akira Banzai, 69, announced resignation, Okuno defeated his sole contender, Toru Nakaya, 65, chief of the JA union in Wakayama Prefecture. The voting started on June 23 and the ballots were counted on Thursday. Okuno, … Continue reading →

A bill to revise the Agricultural Co-operative Society Law submitted by the government was passed in the Diet’s Lower House on Tuesday, June 30, and the Upper House is expected to start deliberating the bill in early July. The government says the main focus of the bill is to increase farmers’ income, but fails to explain exactly how. There still remain concerns over possible triggers to restrict non-farmer members’ use of primary agricultural co-ops (JAs)’ services in the future, indicating the need for thorough deliberation in the Upper House. The bill was passed in the Lower House plenary session by a majority, with support from the Liberal Democratic Party, Ishin … Continue reading →

Yuji Hosoda More than 30 percent of dairy cows which underwent artificial insemination in 2014 were crossbred with Japanese Black wagyu beef cattle to produce F1 breed calves for beef production, according to statistics by the Animal Inseminators’ Association of Japan. The percentage is the third highest since the association began compiling the data in 1995. The ratio for Hokkaido, the major dairy production area, topped 20 percent, marking a record high. The increase reflects dairy farmers’ effort to expand shipments of beef calves which are priced higher than dairy calves to cope with rising costs which squeeze their profits. This means the number of births of dairy calves will … Continue reading →

Two candidates running for the presidential election of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu) expressed their determination to reflect the voices of farmers and primary agricultural co-operatives in making the historical reform of the organization. Speaking to some 160 representatives with a voting right who gathered in Tokyo on Tuesday, June 23, Choe Okuno, 68, president of Mie Prefectural Union of Agricultural Co-operatives, and Toru Nakaya, 65, president of Wakayama Prefectural Union of Agricultural Co-operatives, explained their views on how to expand farmers’ income and how to deal with the government’s move to restructure JA-Zenchu. JA-Zenchu is having a presidential race for the first time in 10 years. The … Continue reading →