[By Tetsuro Shimizu, Director of Norinchukin Research Institute’s Basic Research Division] The recent proposals by a working group under the government’s Regulatory Reform Promotion Council are completely irrational, something that lacks understanding for the principles of joint sales and procurement which have been built up over the years by cooperatives. The proposals indicate the bargaining power could be taken away from farmers and primary agricultural coops which have organized a federation in order to gain an advantage in price negotiations. Following the conclusion of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Mexico dismantled the National Company of Popular Substistence (CONASUPO), its state trader of agricultural products, and allowed major grain marketers … Continue reading →

The Council for Promotion of Regulatory Reform, Government’s advisory panel, chaired by Hiroko Ota, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, made an announcement on its final recommendation on Japanese agricultural reform on November 28. At the meeting of the Council, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pointed out that a number of challenges should be tackled by ZEN-NOH and other agricultural cooperative organizations in the country. With regard to ZEN-NOH (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations) or a national business organization of agricultural cooperatives (JAs), Prime Minister Abe reiterated that it should promote self-reforms of its business system with determination of being reborn as a new organization, saying, … Continue reading →