African cooperative leaders visit Shizuoka prefecture in Japan to find out activities of Shimizu Agricultural Cooperative

SHIZUOKA, Sept. 2 – Leaders of cooperative organizations in African countries had a study trip at Shimizu Agricultural Cooperative, called as JA Shimizu, to observe activities carried out by Japanese farmers at their cooperative. They came to Tokyo to learn about the Japanese cooperative movement by participating in a seminar that is being held from August 28 to September 6 jointly by Japan Consumers’ Co-operative Union and United Nations’ International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with Japan Joint Committee of Cooperatives (JJC) heading an organizational network of various cooperatives in the country. Their field trip to the JA Shimizu was organized as a part of the seminar program, providing them … Continue reading

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Sun and wind make rice taste even better!

AOMORI, Sept. 21 — Bokake, a traditional method for drying rice, began in one of the rice-producing regions in Hirosaki city, Aomori Prefecture. Bokake, which means hanging rice on a pole in Japanese, is a traditional way for drying rice by hanging them on a pole under the sunlight for two to three weeks. Here at Makanae region in Hirosaki city, farmers set up poles of approximately 2.5 meters and hang approximately 50 bundles of rice around each pole. An 83-year-old farmer, Kikue Jin, her family, and relatives have just finished the work with 150 poles in her rice field. “We’ve been doing this for about 50 years. Sun and … Continue reading

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The burden of market liberalization – loss on sales of “minimum access” rice imports squeezing agricultural budget

TOKYO, Sept. 17 – “Even if the domestic agricultural market is liberalized, the nation can survive with strong agriculture.” “Japan liberalized its rice market 25 years ago, but that did not affect domestic supply and demand.” – These are the excuses the government gives as it creates new free trade agreements one after another. However, the actual impact of rice market liberalization has been deep and long-standing. In fiscal 2015, 50.5 billion yen of tax money, a record high amount, was used to cover the loss on sales of so-called “minimum access” rice, rice imported under an annual tariff-free quota. Forcible market liberalization is putting pressure on agricultural budgets and … Continue reading

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Japan pushing for fresh TPP deal without US by November

TOKYO, Sept. 14 — Japan has been pushing for expedited trade talks with the 11 members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in meetings with their ambassadors in Tokyo to complete a fresh agreement by November that would bring into force without the United States. Yet, it is unclear if the TPP could be totally salvaged in the next two months, as there is still a lot remaining, informed sources said. Japan’s TPP Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with ambassadors from 11 members, such as Vietnam and Malaysia, on Sept. 13. He asked them to narrow down the list of issues that will be on ice until the U.S. returns to the … Continue reading

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Japan Pork Producers cement bond with Korea’s counterpart

SEOUL, Sept. 15 — The Japan Pork Producers Association (JPPA) has entered into a sister agreement with South Korea’s counterpart at a time when both Tokyo and Seoul are pushing free trade agreements, which inevitably expose the pork industry to more import competition. The JPPA signed the sister pact with the Korean Pork Producers Association (KPPA) on Sept. 14 in Seoul. This is the first time for JPPA to have a sister agreement with foreign partners. Both Japanese and Korean domestic pork industries have nearly the same number of producers as well as the swine herd size. But Korea’s pork self-sufficiency rate is higher than that of Japan. The Korean … Continue reading

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