The Council for Regulatory Reform came up with its second proposal on Friday, June 13, calling for a drastic overhaul of the agricultural co-operative system in the coming five years. The recommendations, submitted to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, asked that related bills be submitted to the ordinary Diet session next year, but conclusions for many of the proposals, such as the controversial issue of how to reform the functions and powers of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), are left for future discussions. The council proposed around 230 measures, up from some 140 submitted last June, concerning five sectors – health and medical services, employment, ventures and information … Continue reading →

  Tomokatsu Sowa Rice farmers of Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, who had refrained from rice production after the nuclear meltdown in Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 power plant, were allowed to resume rice farming this year in areas excluding the evacuation zone for the first time in four years. However, many of them decided not to do so due to delay in the city’s decontamination works. The city’s projects to decontaminate farmlands and irrigation channels have not been implemented because of contractors’ labor shortage, and farmers fear they would not be able to resume rice planting next year as well. There are increasing calls for the central government to … Continue reading →

  The ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Monday, June 9, decided to transform the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), the headquarters and core of the JA group, into a new entity. The LDP’s draft plan, proposed at the Monday’s meeting of agricultural-related working groups, said a new system will be created taking into account debates within the JA group to reform itself, and a transition period of a few years will be set. Related bills will be submitted to the ordinary Diet session next year. The government’s Regulatory Reform Council proposed that JA-Zenchu be stripped of its legal authority to supervise management of primary agricultural co-operatives and be transformed … Continue reading →

  Satoko Adachi – Brussels Mitsuo Murakami, vice president of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), criticized a government panel’s agricultural reform proposal, saying that it is aimed at splitting up the Japanese agricultural co-operatives group. Speaking at the International Co-operative Alliance’s board meeting held in Brussels on Thursday, June 5 and Friday, June 6, Murakami stressed that the Regulatory Reform Council’s proposal, which includes stripping JA-Zenchu of its authority to supervise primary farm co-ops, is an attack towards the whole co-operative movement and asked for support by the ICA. Board members present at the meeting pledged to cooperate. Murakami noted co-operatives are autonomous organizations aimed at responding to the … Continue reading →