Kazuhiro Takamatsu Although the amount of imported onions from China is rapidly increasing due to the shortage of domestically-grown onions, pesticide residues exceeding the reference value are frequently detected in Chinese onions. To deal with this situation, the government obliged importers to examine all lots from this month. As China also strengthened regulations trying to investigate the causes, onion imports from China is getting more likely to decrease drastically. While trading companies are trying to provide onions from other countries like America, it is also assumed that demand for domestically-grown onions will be greater, and the price as well as their supply and demand will be affected. Japan imports … Continue reading →

  Myanmar is recently expanding its rice exports. Agricultural officials of the country who were visiting Japan told the Japan Agricultural News on Tuesday, Aug. 26 that the country’s rice exports are expected to reach 3 million tons next year. They said rice production increased through mechanization and introduction of irrigation systems, and the quality of rice improved thanks to the latest milling facilities. They said they also plan to increase exports to the Japanese market. Ye Min Soe, general manager of Myanmar Agribusiness Public Corporation, said they have been shipping low quality rice with broken grains mainly to the African market, but shifted their focus to exporting high quality … Continue reading →

Odor control has now become one of the biggest concerns for cattle breeders. According to the agriculture ministry, roughly 2,000 cattle farms nationwide received complaints from residents in their neighborhood in 2013, up some 100 from the previous year, out of which 60 percent were related to odor. Although farmers are taking various measures to reduce malodors, the number of complaints does not decline as they expect, as more housing developments encroach on agricultural lands. The task is becoming even harder as the government strengthened regulations on odor emissions. The ministry survey showed that 1,970 farms received complaints in 2013, with the largest percentage – 61 percent – related to … Continue reading →