Category Archives: Food & Agriculture

【News】 ZEN-NOH launches new project to open 100 agrocenters jointly with agricultural cooperatives next ten years (Nov. 4, 2016)

ZEN-NOH (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Association) or a national business organization of agricultural cooperatives (JAs) will put its new project into practice next March, which is to operate agricultural supply stores jointly with JAs for a purpose of supplying fertilizers, chemicals and other inputs directly to farmers. ZEN-NOH aims at making farmers increase their satisfaction with a wider selection of farm inputs at the supply stores or agrocenters by managing inventory in more efficient manners through its supply network crossing over prefectural borders. It is expected that ZEN-NOH’s business function will make it possible for JA’s agrocenter to avoid taking a risk of overstock. ZEN-NOH will open the first … Continue reading

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【News】 Exports of Japanese apples, green tea, and beef to hit record respectively exceeding 10 billion yen in 2016 (Nov. 2, 2016)

Exports of apples, green tea and beef produced in Japan are continuously increasing this year. They are likely to respectively break the past record by the end of the year. According to the latest trade statistics published by the Ministry of Finance, all the values of these exports in a period from January to September 2016 have exceeded those in the same period of the previous year. There had been concerns that recent yen appreciation would put a sudden break on export growth. Strong exports of these commodities, however, have been supported by spreading Japanese-food boom in many countries and increasing inbound tourists. An export value of apples grew to … Continue reading

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【News】 127 wild mushrooms on display in Nagano to call for care to avoid eating toxic, some deadly, mushrooms (Oct. 5, 2016)

As the peak season for mushroom hunting started in Japan, the number of reports on mushroom poisoning is on rise. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, as of October 3 this year, 17 people became ill after mistakenly eating poisonous mushrooms. During the past ten years, approximately 1,500 people were reported to have suffered from the mushroom poisoning. Five among them died. On October 4, the food hygiene association of Nagano Prefecture started a display of 127 types of wild mushrooms in the farmers’ market of JA Nagano, an agricultural cooperative headquartered in Nagano Prefecture, as one of its initiatives to prevent wild mushroom poisoning. The mushrooms … Continue reading

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【News】 JA-ZENCHU to hold “Top Forum” at six places to share successful performance of self-reforms with top leaders of agricultural cooperatives throughout Japan (Nov. 2, 2016)

JA-ZENCHU (Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives) or an apex body of agricultural cooperatives (JAs) in Japan held the first session of consecutive “Top Forum” in Osaka city on November 1, which is to be organized at six cities this month in the country. JA-ZENCHU aims at successfully promoting a three-year campaign of self-reforms in agricultural cooperative activities, which were pledged by JAs’ representatives throughout the country at their 27th National Convention held last autumn, by confirming a steady progress of the campaign in its first year with executive leaders of JAs at the Top Forum. Participants in the Top Forum particularly shared practical experiences among themselves in raising agricultural income … Continue reading

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【News】 ZEN-NOH successfully completes price-cut negotiations with fertilizer manufacturers for coming spring season (Oct. 29, 2016)

On October 28, ZEN-NOH (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Association) or a national business organization of agricultural cooperatives (JAs) revealed a price list of spring-season major fertilizers to be supplied to JA member farmers through its organizational network during November to next May. The price of high-performance compound fertilizer (generally compounded), which is recognized as an indicator price, is lowered by as much as 10.1 percent over that in the current autumn season of fertilizers. ZEN-NOH could successfully cut the supply price of the compound fertilizer by more than 10 percent in two consecutive seasons thanks to lowered prices of fertilizer materials in the international market and the stronger yen … Continue reading

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