Category Archives: Food & Agriculture

Theft cases of wheel loaders, machines to move aside or load heavy materials, have been increasing at dairy farms where the loaders are used to mix up cow’s manure for production of organic fertilizers. Most of the wheel loaders targeted in robbery are old-fashioned models, which are commonly not installed with the global positioning system (GPS) as an anti-theft device. An overall picture of the theft cases has not been obtained. But these cases have occurred most frequently in Shizuoka prefecture. According to a prompt report of the Shizuoka Prefectural Police Department, 19 wheel loaders of livestock farmers were stolen during a period from January to late April, exceeding the … Continue reading →

A number of rice producers have been forced to cancel rice seedling transplanting in some of their paddy fields due to damages caused by the Kumamoto earthquake in the territory of Aso Agricultural Cooperative (JA), where most of rice producers had already got prepared for the planting works. Shunsuke Takafuji, 43, who planned to grow rice in his 14 hectare farmlands in Aso-shi, cannot hide his disappointment saying “I am afraid seedling transplanting might be done only in the half of my paddy fields this year. Assuming the worst case scenario, it could be less than thirty percent.” In the JA Aso area deadly hit by the second powerful earthquake … Continue reading →

The Group of Seven (G-7) Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting, opened at Niigata-shi, Niigata prefecture on April 23, adopted the “Niigata Declaration” towards ensuring food security in the world on April 24. In the Declaration, G-7’s farm ministers and the representative of the European Union agreed to aim at the shared goals of policy implementation including measures to enhance female and young farmers’ involvements in the agricultural sector. Shinzo Abe’s Administration plans to reflect the outcome of the G-7 agriculture ministers’ meeting, including the shared goals to be pursued by the seven nations, in discussions at the G-7 Summit to be held in Ise-Shima, Mie prefecture on May 26-27. Farm ministers of … Continue reading →

It has turned out that a number of bulk feed tanks owned by farmers feeding beef cattle or pigs were bitterly damaged or destroyed by a powerful earthquake and its numerous aftershocks since April 14 in Kumamoto prefecture. At some livestock barns, rooves of the feed storage tanks were separated off by the earthquake and stored feed was spoiled by rainwater. At other barns, automatic feeding systems connecting feed tanks with livestock animals in the barns were broken down. Quake-hit damages have been spreading at livestock facilities over many areas in the Kumamoto prefecture. Farmers, however, now find it difficult to promptly find out necessary repairmen. They are concerned rehabilitation … Continue reading →