Monthly Archives: April 2015

【News】 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vows to protect agriculture (April 8, 2015)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly said on Tuesday, April 7, he will “protect what should be protected,” referring to key farm products which the government has pledged to exempt from tariff cuts in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade negotiations. In a meeting with Akira Banzai, president of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), Abe also stressed that his administration shares the same goals as the JA group, which are to increase farmers’ income and revitalize rural areas. He said exports of farm products will expand further in the future, adding that he hopes to make such a situation an opportunity to proceed with agricultural reform together with the JA group … Continue reading

Posted in Cooperatives, Food & Agriculture, Trade Talks | Tagged | Comments Off on 【News】 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vows to protect agriculture (April 8, 2015)

【News】 Spring brings new lives to farmers! (April 6, 2015)

Kotaro Yamada Spring is the season for lambing and here at Ohnodai-houbokujo ranch located in Fujisato-cho, Akita Prefecture, ewes are giving birth to approximately 120 baby lambs this spring from February through mid-April. The ranch breeds black-faced black-legged Suffolk sheep for meat production. Newborn lambs are raised in the barn for a while until the grazing season starts in the middle of May. Fujisato village has been focusing on lamb meat production since 1989 in order to make lamb meat its local specialty. Currently the village breeds about 200 lambs a year. Kaoru Takahashi, an engineer for Agriculture and Forestry Division of the village shows his pride and confidence in them, … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture, Photos | Tagged | Comments Off on 【News】 Spring brings new lives to farmers! (April 6, 2015)

【News】 Gibberellin plant hormone improves fruit-to-flower ratio of Kiyo plums from 2.6 percent to over 15 percent: Kumamoto institute (April 3, 2015)

  Kumamoto Prefectural Agricultural Research Center’s Fruit Tree Research Station has confirmed that a fruit-to-flower ratio of Kiyo plums improves greatly if a solution of gibberellic acid (GA), a hormone found in plants, is sprayed over the trees which underwent artificial pollination. The center pruned the trees, trimming mainly short fruit-bearing branches, hand-pollinated them thoroughly and then sprinkled 100 to 200 ppm of GA solution twice, 20 days and 50 days after full bloom. Kiyo is a large-size, good-tasting plum variety which is marketed at high prices. But since it is a triploid variety, it does not always bear fruit only by pollination. Sprinkling GA solution on young fruits resulted … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture | Tagged | Comments Off on 【News】 Gibberellin plant hormone improves fruit-to-flower ratio of Kiyo plums from 2.6 percent to over 15 percent: Kumamoto institute (April 3, 2015)

【Editorial】 More debate needed in revising agricultural co-op law, taking into account farmers’ views (April 3, 2015)

  The Cabinet is expected to approve the bill to revise the Agricultural Co-operative Society Law on Friday, April 3. The Diet is likely to start full-scale deliberations on the bill after the unified local elections. Although the bill has gone through preliminary review, doubts and concerns over it remain. Members of the Diet, who represent the Japanese people, must conduct constructive debate which will lead to an increase in income of farmers – the main player of agricultural co-ops – and a better rural farming and society. The basic outline of agricultural co-ops reform, approved by the government’s headquarters for agricultural revitalization in February, became a bill after being … Continue reading

Posted in Cooperatives, Food & Agriculture | Tagged | Comments Off on 【Editorial】 More debate needed in revising agricultural co-op law, taking into account farmers’ views (April 3, 2015)

【News】 Over 40 percent of Japanese consumers prefer domestic meat: poll (April 3, 2015)

  More than 40 percent of Japanese consumers prefer to buy domestically-produced chicken, pork and beef despite relatively high prices, according to a survey released by the Japan-Cooperative General Research Institute on Thursday, March 26. The survey, conducted on 2,178 people nationwide in November over the Internet, asked what factors they care most when purchasing meat products, allowing multiple answers, and the largest number of people responded they make sure the products are domestically-produced. The percentage was highest for chicken with 51 percent, followed by 48 percent for pork and 44 percent for beef. Although the ratios were 2 to 3 percentage points lower compared with a year before, the … Continue reading

Posted in Cooperatives, Food & Agriculture | Tagged | Comments Off on 【News】 Over 40 percent of Japanese consumers prefer domestic meat: poll (April 3, 2015)