【Opinion】 France’s mountain farming – a model for Japanese farmers (April 8, 2016)

Toshinobu Kitabayashi, head of Worldwide Agricultural Policy Information Center Between the beginning of this year and February, a series of fierce protests spread among livestock farmers of western France against a squeeze in margins by large supermarkets which made it difficult for them to even make up for production costs. The French government and the European Union have been busy trying to settle the issue, with President Francois Hollande promising to review the deregulatory measures implemented under the act on modernization of agriculture and fisheries enacted in 2010 by the administration of former President Nicholas Sarkozy, and the European Union presenting emergency support measures. However, I would like to discuss … Continue reading

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【News】 TPP ratification to be deferred until after the current Diet session (April 20, 2016)

Shinzo Abe’s Administration and the ruling bloc found on April 19 that the ratification on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade pack and relevant bills will hardly be approved at the Lower House by the end of April, although they had expected the Lower House would pass the TPP accord and related bills as scheduled. The Diet affairs chiefs of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the opposite Democratic Party (DP) had a meeting to confirm the TPP Special Committee of the Lower House will not be able to get through the schedule of TPP debate sessions planned over the end of April. It is now highly probable that Lower … Continue reading

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【News】 Watermelon shipment resumes encouraging earthquake-hit farmers in JA Kamimashiki area, Kumamoto prefecture (April 19, 2016)

Kamimashiki Agricultural Cooperative (JA), headquartered at one of the hardest-hit areas by the latest Kumamoto huge earthquake, Kosa-machi, Kumamoto prefecture, resumed operations at its watermelon grading facility on April 18, which had been suspended since the earthquake rocked the area on April 14. Watermelons produced by the JA member farmers were graded by hands of JA staff members and some producers living near the facility, while an automatic grading machine was broken by the heavy tremors. Hard works of loading trucks bound for markets with sorted watermelons were also done by them. Takamori Morimoto, 45, producing watermelons on farmlands of 1.5 hectare, had his house and barns collapsed by the … Continue reading

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【News】 Beautiful cherry blossoms mirrored on rice field in Uda-shi, Nara Prefecture(Apr. 13, 2016)

A tree of full-blown cherry blossom is standing right next to a rice paddy, mirrored on the water and providing a magnificent view to both locals and tourists in Haibaramorokino, Uda-shi, Nara Prefecture. The tree of approximately 80 years old is also known as “Mirror Cherry Blossoms” as its reflection on the still water is so beautiful. The rice field belongs to a 78-year-old rice grower, Manji Sasaoka. On April 12, 2016, he was busy preparing for rice planting under the cherry blossoms in full bloom. “The blossoms and the water are in perfect harmony. Farmers here are getting older with many giving up their rice fields. But I want … Continue reading

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【News】 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake keeping farmers away from home, damages on agriculture growing (Apr. 16, 2016)

The earthquake destroyed houses, downed hydro poles and pushed up manholes. It attacked farmers and their villages in the central part of Kyushu island while they were preparing for the coming busy season. Scores have been killed or injured by the strongest earthquake to hit Kyushu with a magnitude 7 in Mashiki-cho, Kumamoto Prefecture that knocked down houses and destroyed roads. These photos were taken on April 15, 2016, one day after the first major earthquake to reveal the earthquake’s devastating damages on the agricultural industry in the quake-hit area.

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