TOKYO, Feb. 14 — In Japan, 312 farm workers died of work-related injuries in 2016, about 70 percent of which involved machinery, including farm vehicles, according to the agriculture ministry. Farming is among the most dangerous occupations in Japan, with a fatality rate of 16.2 per 100,000 farmers — exceeding hazardous jobs such as those in the construction sector with a death-rate of 6 per 100,000 workers. Moreover, 81 percent of fatalities in the farm sector were people aged over 65, with a fatality rate of 20.3 per 100,000 farmers. “Those who are aged 65 and over are to normally retired in other sectors, but in the farm sector they … Continue reading →

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 … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Feb. 10 — Japan’s agricultural exports broke the 800 billion yen barrier last year for the first time, as washoku or traditional Japanese food is riding a wave of global popularity. The exports of products such as agri-food, meat and seafood rose 8% to 807.3 billion yen in 2017 from the year earlier, preliminary data from the agriculture ministry showed. They grew for a fifth consecutive year, but at a slower pace than the government hoped for. Japan has set a target of 1 trillion yen in agricultural exports by 2020, as domestic consumption has continued sliding. It needs a 10% annual growth rate in the next two years, … Continue reading →