Category Archives: Cooperatives

【News】 Progress in TPP ignores struggle by beef cattle farmers – report from Shihoro, Hokkaido (March 4, 2015)

Posted on 2015-03-04 by The Japan Agricultural News

  Shingo Oka Shogo Kamata, 43, who raises 1,700 Holstein steers in Shihoro, Hokkaido, is increasingly worried that the Japanese government might compromise with the United States in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks, despite the Diet resolutions which pledge to protect key farm products. Kamata is concerned because of reports that Japan is considering gradually reducing beef tariff to 9 percent from 38.5 percent in response to the U.S. demand in the bilateral negotiations. Holstein steers will be hit hardest if such tariff cut is implemented, as they compete with imported beef in terms of quality grade. Many fear that the accelerating trend of market liberalization, following the Japan-Australia Economic … Continue reading →

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【Editorial】 Reconfirm the role of co-operatives in revising farm co-ops law (March 4, 2015)

Posted on 2015-03-04 by The Japan Agricultural News

  The government’s policies concerning the agricultural co-operatives reform goes against the global trend. The international society highly evaluates and pins high hopes on the value and role of co-operatives. Some countries have enacted co-ops laws, considering that co-ops operated under the principle of mutual aid are an effective institution to solve such problems as hunger, poverty, employment and regional revitalization. It is necessary to renew public awareness and consensus on the significance and role of co-ops today before starting discussions on the revision of the Agricultural Co-operatives Society Law. International Co-operative Alliance President Pauline Green, who visited Tokyo last month, gave high marks to Japanese co-ops, saying they have … Continue reading →

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【Opinion】 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cry for reform – an effort to dismantle opposition forces (Feb. 23, 2015)

Posted on 2015-02-23 by The Japan Agricultural News

  Katsuto Uchihashi The 189th ordinary Diet session which began on Feb. 12 is dubbed the “screaming for reform” Diet. In his 45-minute policy speech before the Diet, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe mentioned the term “reform” as many as 36 times and cried out that he is determined to reform agricultural co-operatives for the first time in 60 years. The issue of dismantling the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), which was narrowly agreed upon only three days before the opening of the Diet, has been made the main focus of the Diet session. Those who support the reform plan insist that turning JA-Zenchu into a general incorporated association and … Continue reading →

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【News】 Agricultural co-op group OKs major reform plan (Feb. 10, 2015)

Posted on 2015-02-10 by The Japan Agricultural News

  The government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party reached basic agreement with the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), the nation’s main agricultural lobby, on Monday, Feb. 9, on the first major reform of the organization in more than 60 years, including taking away its legal authority to audit its member co-ops. The government’s proposed plan means a big turning point for JA-Zenchu, as its audit division, which has been conducting audits on primary JAs, will be separated from the organization. It will also give up its legally privileged status to become a general incorporated association by the end of March 2019. The government is expected to submit a … Continue reading →

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【Editor’s column】 Gaining farmers’ support essential for agricultural co-ops reform (Feb. 10, 2015)

Posted on 2015-02-10 by The Japan Agricultural News

  Editor in Chief, Kazushiro Tamiya The government, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu) have reached basic agreement on reforming agricultural co-ops. During last-minute talks, LDP lawmakers with close ties to the farm sector barely managed to push back some of the radical proposals made by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Office and the government’s Regulatory Reform Council. However, it is true that the overall debate on agricultural co-ops reform, which focused mainly on fiddling around the edges of restructuring JA-Zenchu, has made farmers feel doubtful and leery about for whom and for what the reform will be conducted. We are not convinced by … Continue reading →

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