Office ladies are growing their interests in processed foods shipped from various parts of the country. (Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
JA-ZENCHU (Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives), an apex body of agricultural cooperative (JA) organizations in Japan, opened a shop on July 4 for exhibiting and selling processed foods shipped by farmers’ groups and JAs from various parts of Japan.
The shop was set up on the fourth floor of JA Building located at Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku in Tokyo. It is the first time for JA Group organizations to exhibit and sell exclusively their processed foods in Tokyo.
According to JA-ZENCHU, processed foods manufactured by farmers’ groups and their JAs now exceed one thousand items in the country. However, it was rather difficult for city people to get a place for easily purchasing these local products in the central part of Tokyo.
The inauguration program is being implemented at the shop to sell processed foods which have won prizes at various contests sponsored by JA Group organizations. Eleven awarded goods shipped from nine prefectures, including tomato risottos and citrus gelatin deserts, are displayed for sales on a shelf at the shop.
JA ZENCHU plans to characterize some of the shop’s shelves when the seasons change. Various ice creams and cold drinks manufactured in rural communities are to be on sale in summer, which will be followed by packed curry for new rice at the harvest season of autumn.