【News】 New packaging technology efficient for long-distance shipment of fresh strawberries developed: Kyushu Okinawa Research Center of NARO (Feb. 2, 2017)

A new packaging technology useful for keeping strawberries fresh during long-distance ocean transportation was developed by the Kyushu Okinawa Agricultural Research Center, based at Koshi city in Kumamoto prefecture, operated by NARO or the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization. The new packaging system has been worked out with a combination of a special tray for perishable strawberries and a packaging material used for preserving freshness of vegetables and fruits in longer periods. Shipping by ocean is much cheaper than shipping by air. The development of the new packaging technology for long-distance strawberry shipment by sea is now expected to make a major contribution to a further increase in fresh … Continue reading

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【Opinion】Reengineering member associations of agricultural cooperatives (Jan. 24, 2017)

[By Yoichi Tashiro, professor emeritus at Otsuma Women’s University] Agricultural cooperatives are in the middle of eagerly designing and implementing their midterm three-year plan including reviewing their sales and procurement business, as well as the agriculture promotion plan and the self-reform plan. While the situation surrounding global agriculture is in turmoil along with Donald Trump becoming the president of the United States, the farm coops must tackle challenges of reform in order to live up to farmers’ expectations. Meanwhile, the agriculture working group of the government’s Regulatory Reform Promotion Council suggested halving the number of farm coops engaging in financial business in three years. If financial business is separated from … Continue reading

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【News】 Village in the sky (Jan. 1, 2017)

Shimoguri-no-sato is a solitary hamlet in the mountains in Kamimura village, Iida city, Nagano Prefecture, which has become one of the popular tourist destinations in Japan. A photo of the village taken by a drone showed impressive houses and fields that cling to the steep slope on the southeastern side of the mountain. People grow local specialties such as Shimoguri potatoes and buckwheat on the well-drained soil on the slope of up to 38 degrees at approximately 800 to 1,000 kilometers above sea level. The village enjoys sunlight from early morning till evening. So people used to say, “don’t let you daughter get married to a man from Shimoguri-no-sato,” as … Continue reading

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【News】 Japan’s exports of beef and green tea both hit new records in 2016 (Feb. 2, 2017)

Among home-grown agricultural and livestock products with an annual export exceeding 10 billion yen, both of Japanese beef and green tea set new records of exports in 2016, the latest Trade Statistics of the Ministry of Finance revealed. Japanese beef exports enjoyed a larger growth in overseas markets because of increased recognition of its product name “Wagyu” as well as a worldwide boom in the popularity of Japanese cuisine. Overseas sales of Japanese beef increased to 13.5 billion yen in 2016, 23 percent up over the previous year, breaking the record for six straight years. The amount of Japanese beef exports totaled 1908 tons in 2016, 18 percent up over … Continue reading

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【News】 Japanese Government to lift the ban on Russian forage imports (Jan. 31, 2017)

Japan and Russia have begun talks on lifting of Japanese import ban on Russian forage in order to stabilize supplies of forage to Japanese livestock farmers, Yuji Yamamoto, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), said at a meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Councilors on January 31. The Japanese Government has been banning imports of forage produced in Russia because Russia is one of the countries that have experienced outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). However, MAFF is now planning to approve imports of Russian forage if the two Governments can make an agreement on quarantine requirements to prevent the spread of FMD. In late January, Russian … Continue reading

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