【Editorial】 Unreasonable intervention in agricultural cooperatives’ management should never be allowed (Nov. 12, 2016)

The government’s Regulatory Reform Promotion Council has recently presented a draft proposal on reforming management of agricultural cooperatives. The key points include abolishing the consignment sales system of the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (ZEN-NOH) and making the organization shift within a year to the system of purchasing all the products, as well as turning primary farm coops (JAs) into agents, instead of providers, of financial services. These are extremely unreasonable proposals that totally ignore the functions and roles of ZEN-NOH’s sales business and JAs’ financial business. Such denial of cooperative businesses and intervention in management of an independent private organization should not be allowed for whatever reason. The … Continue reading

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【Editorial】 Wave of “nohaku” farm stays approaches (Sept. 28, 2016)

The government has set on boosting so-called “nohaku” farm stays to attract visitors, especially those from abroad, to rural villages as a key measure to revitalize local areas. The agriculture ministry and related ministries plan to largely increase budgetary allocations in line with the government’s tourism vision put together in spring. However, it is not easy to boost farm stays of foreign visitors who are not familiar with the Japanese language and culture. The rural community needs to work together to help visitors appreciate the Japanese countryside, and the government must come up with effective support measures. The administration under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to accelerate its Abenomics … Continue reading

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【News】 Liberal Democratic Party to put forward its own proposal on agricultural reform focusing on marketing & financial businesses of agricultural cooperatives (Nov. 15, 2016)

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) started its full-scale discussions on agricultural reform on November 14 so that LDP could put forward its own proposal by the end of November. On November 11, an agricultural working group of the Council for Promotion of Regulatory Reform, Government’s advisory panel, announced its proposal on the agricultural reform, including a radical idea of abolishing a so-called consignment marketing system of ZEN-NOH (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Association) or a national business organization of agricultural cooperatives (JAs). The focus of LDP’s discussions will be how to finally seek for their own conclusion of an agricultural reform scheme on the basis of real conditions of … Continue reading

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【News】Noh no IKEBANA: Let’s have fun choosing containers  (3) Daily agricultural instruments for arrangement that will make both materials and containers look more alive (Oct. 7, 2016)

Things found in deep mountains <”Noh no Ikebana” is an art of arranging agricultural products together with agricultural implements and other familiar instruments. It’s a type of Ikebana but mainly for farmers. The series “Noh no Ikebana” will show you how to best feature the materials and containers you choose, with the help of fans of this style of Ikebana nationwide.> For No no Ikebana, we use every kind of farming tools and instruments such as wooden hammers, baskets, weeders, and threshers including those in old days. Using big items like threshers, you can create an arrangement with depth by putting vegetables and wild plants in front. They are also … Continue reading

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【News】 Shinzo Abe acknowledges “considerably tough situation” in prospect for TPP agreement’s take-off due to Donald Trump’s triumph in U.S. presidential election (Nov. 15, 2016)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said “Frankly speaking, I understand it will be considerably tough for the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP free trade agreement to take effect” at the TPP special committee of the House of Councilors on November 14. The Prime Minister acknowledged the difficult situation surrounding the TPP agreement which was brought about by Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election, who repeatedly stated in his election campaign that the United States would quickly drop out of the TPP if he moved into the White House. At the same time, however, Shinzo Abe emphasized that his administration will continuously take leadership in making the TPP pact come into … Continue reading

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