TOKYO, Feb. 15 — Japan’s agriculture ministry is to provide financial support for food exporters, to have their products certified under the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) system, with an aim to boosting exports of agricultural products.
The JAS is based on compliance and very costly to obtain, since it requires the accreditation of certification bodies. The ministry will offer financial support of up to 12 million yen for one JAS certification.
The ministry believes the JAS labels on products can be a key to accessing global markets for Japanese farm and food products.
From April, the JAS system will include new rules that certify a method of production as well as transport management.
It will help foster new opportunities for Japanese farmers who set the worldwide standard for food production, the ministry said.
At the same time, the ministry said it will promote the JAS system abroad.