Category Archives: Cooperatives

【News】 Agricultural co-ops group chief to step down amid push for reform (April 10, 2015)

Akira Banzai, president of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), said Thursday, April 9, that he is stepping down, at a time when the government is working on reforming the JA group. At a press conference held after the central union’s board meeting, Banzai said the Cabinet’s approval of a bill to overhaul the organization, made on Friday, April 3, became a kind of a “breakpoint” for him to make the decision. “I hope a new central union under a new president will give a boost to conducting self-reform,” said Banzai, who had been expected to serve until August 2017. “I made the decision with positive intentions.” The new … Continue reading

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【News】 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vows to protect agriculture (April 8, 2015)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly said on Tuesday, April 7, he will “protect what should be protected,” referring to key farm products which the government has pledged to exempt from tariff cuts in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade negotiations. In a meeting with Akira Banzai, president of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), Abe also stressed that his administration shares the same goals as the JA group, which are to increase farmers’ income and revitalize rural areas. He said exports of farm products will expand further in the future, adding that he hopes to make such a situation an opportunity to proceed with agricultural reform together with the JA group … Continue reading

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【Editorial】 More debate needed in revising agricultural co-op law, taking into account farmers’ views (April 3, 2015)

  The Cabinet is expected to approve the bill to revise the Agricultural Co-operative Society Law on Friday, April 3. The Diet is likely to start full-scale deliberations on the bill after the unified local elections. Although the bill has gone through preliminary review, doubts and concerns over it remain. Members of the Diet, who represent the Japanese people, must conduct constructive debate which will lead to an increase in income of farmers – the main player of agricultural co-ops – and a better rural farming and society. The basic outline of agricultural co-ops reform, approved by the government’s headquarters for agricultural revitalization in February, became a bill after being … Continue reading

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【News】 Over 40 percent of Japanese consumers prefer domestic meat: poll (April 3, 2015)

  More than 40 percent of Japanese consumers prefer to buy domestically-produced chicken, pork and beef despite relatively high prices, according to a survey released by the Japan-Cooperative General Research Institute on Thursday, March 26. The survey, conducted on 2,178 people nationwide in November over the Internet, asked what factors they care most when purchasing meat products, allowing multiple answers, and the largest number of people responded they make sure the products are domestically-produced. The percentage was highest for chicken with 51 percent, followed by 48 percent for pork and 44 percent for beef. Although the ratios were 2 to 3 percentage points lower compared with a year before, the … Continue reading

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【News】 “Nyu-washoku” Japanese cuisine using milk gaining popularity (April 2, 2015)

  Efforts by the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu) to spread the use of milk in Japanese dishes are bearing fruit, with such dishes increasingly being served at many of nursing care homes run by farm co-ops. As part of its “stay healthy until 100” project, JA-Zenchu has been offering cooking classes and lectures nationwide on using nutrient-rich milk in Japanese-style meals, which is traditionally uncommon, as it also contributes to cutting down on salt. It says some 3,500 people have attended the classes and lectures in fiscal 2013 and 2014. JA-Zenchu receives advice from cooking expert Hiroko Koyama, 43, who invented the term “nyu-washoku” (a play on the … Continue reading

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