Category Archives: Cooperatives

  Tomokatsu Sowa Rice farmers of Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, who had refrained from rice production after the nuclear meltdown in Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 power plant, were allowed to resume rice farming this year in areas excluding the evacuation zone for the first time in four years. However, many of them decided not to do so due to delay in the city’s decontamination works. The city’s projects to decontaminate farmlands and irrigation channels have not been implemented because of contractors’ labor shortage, and farmers fear they would not be able to resume rice planting next year as well. There are increasing calls for the central government to … Continue reading →

  The ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Monday, June 9, decided to transform the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), the headquarters and core of the JA group, into a new entity. The LDP’s draft plan, proposed at the Monday’s meeting of agricultural-related working groups, said a new system will be created taking into account debates within the JA group to reform itself, and a transition period of a few years will be set. Related bills will be submitted to the ordinary Diet session next year. The government’s Regulatory Reform Council proposed that JA-Zenchu be stripped of its legal authority to supervise management of primary agricultural co-operatives and be transformed … Continue reading →

  Satoko Adachi – Brussels Mitsuo Murakami, vice president of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), criticized a government panel’s agricultural reform proposal, saying that it is aimed at splitting up the Japanese agricultural co-operatives group. Speaking at the International Co-operative Alliance’s board meeting held in Brussels on Thursday, June 5 and Friday, June 6, Murakami stressed that the Regulatory Reform Council’s proposal, which includes stripping JA-Zenchu of its authority to supervise primary farm co-ops, is an attack towards the whole co-operative movement and asked for support by the ICA. Board members present at the meeting pledged to cooperate. Murakami noted co-operatives are autonomous organizations aimed at responding to the … Continue reading →

  Kazuhiro Shimamura, Chikuma Kume Worries are growing among farmers that if the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (JA Zen-Noh) is transformed into a joint-stock corporation as a government panel has proposed, it will weaken the JA group’s pricing power, thus leading to a reduction in their incomes. The Regulatory Reform Council has proposed that JA Zen-Noh, which is engaged in collection and sales of farm products, should be converted to a joint-stock corporation to make it easier to procure funds, but farmers are concerned that if it becomes a corporation, it would come under the Antimonopoly Act, which means it would be banned from jointly purchasing and selling … Continue reading →

  Akira Banzai, president of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), expressed determination on Monday, June 2, that the organization will restructure itself by its own will. Speaking to Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba, Banzai called on the ruling party to respect the autonomy of JA-Zenchu, which is a private self-governing organization, in discussing agricultural reform.   Ishiba showed understanding for JA-Zenchu’s role of promoting agriculture and rural communities, and pointed to the need to conduct reform by taking into consideration the actual conditions of farmers. Concerns are growing among farmers and local residents who use JA’s services after the government’s Regulatory Reform Council announced proposals including transferring … Continue reading →