【News】 New Japanese beef’s logo type debuts: Japan Livestock Industry Association (Jan. 3, 2017)

Japan Livestock Industry Association (JLIA), a public interest incorporated association, has debuted a logo type of Wagyu beef (beef of Japanese cattle) for boosting beef exports to overseas markets. JLIA plans to gain more recognition for beef produced in Japan among consumers in the international market by making application to foreign countries for the trademark registration in January. The new logo type was designed to make an English letter of “Japan” bigger than that in the former type. JLIA’s officials expect that the new logo will be effective for Wagyu beef to avoid being mixed up with “Wagyu beef produced in Australia,” saying “A word of Wagyu has been deleted. … Continue reading

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【Opinion】Japan’s wheat imports a possible key to solving its territorial dispute with Russia (Dec. 6, 2016)

[By Masaru Yamada, The Japan Agricultural News Special Senior Writer] Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual presidential address to Russia’s Federal Assembly, delivered at the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec. 1, attracted global attention, as many were concerned over what kind of relationship he is trying to build with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. For Japan, which is expecting a bilateral summit later this month, the focus was on whether he gives any hints on his intentions regarding a territorial dispute between the two countries. Although not widely reported, Putin made an interesting remark on the nation’s agriculture sector in his address. “Agricultural produce exports bring in more revenue today than arms … Continue reading

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【News】Eat onigiri and save the world (Dec. 8, 2016)

A Tokyo-based nonprofit organization has organized a campaign to provide school meals to children in Asia and Africa by asking people to post onigiri (rice balls) photos on social media. Under the Onigiri Action campaign conducted by TABLE FOR TWO until the end of November, for every onigiri photo posted with the hashtag #OnigiriAction on Facebook and Instagram or on the organization’s website, the group’s sponsors and supporters donated 100 yen to provide five school meals to children in such countries as Tanzania and Myanmar. The organization said it managed to offer a total of 850,000 school meals, which are equivalent to meals for 4,000 children for a year. It … Continue reading

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【News】 Revised Geographical Indication Act to hopefully help Japanese farmers to boost exports of their products (Dec. 28, 2016)

Revised Act on Protection of the Names of Specific Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products and Foodstuffs or Geographical Indication (GI) Act was put into effect on December 26, 2016. The revised GI Act makes it possible for the Japanese government to protect names of farm and other primary industry products mutually with governments of other countries through an international agreement. Under the latest system of the revised Act, local producers will find it unnecessary to individually make an application to a foreign government concerned for GI protection of their products. It is expected not only that the GI protection will be more guaranteed in the overseas market, but also that … Continue reading

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【News】 Retail price of 2016 rice not yet rising substantially: Japan Agricultural News survey (Dec. 28, 2016)

A retail price of rice produced in 2016, a staple food for Japanese people, has not been rising as much as expected, the Japan Agricultural News’ latest survey found. According to the survey, prices of 5-kg rice packages are centering mostly around 1800 yen in the consumer market, 50 to 100 yen or 3 to 5 percent up over the previous year. The increase in price is still smaller than that in advance payments made by local agricultural cooperatives and other trading firms to rice producers, which rose by 10 to 15 percent. In many rice producing areas, the advance payments, which is equivalent to 80 to 90 percent of … Continue reading

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