Monthly Archives: February 2015

  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 →

  In a last-minute effort to reflect agricultural co-operatives’ opinions in the government’s agricultural reform plan, Akira Banzai, head of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu) met ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers with close links to the farm sector on Friday, Feb. 6, to make a number of requests including keeping the union’s auditing system. Banzai asked LDP members to maintain JA-Zenchu’s audits and let primary JAs choose between the central union’s audits and those by certified public accountants. He also requested that JA-Zenchu and prefectural unions have the same kind of corporate capacity under the Agricultural Co-operative Society Law, and expressed opposition to restricting non-farmer members’ use of … Continue reading →