Japan develops global pre-harvest crop yield forecast method

TSUKUBA, Jan. 17 ― A group of Japanese researchers has developed a new method that predicts global crop production three months before harvest, a step forward to ensure food security. The Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, a research arm of the Tsukuba-based National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), said the new method aims to help making informed purchasing decisions for staple crops, setting appropriate food reserve level. The announcement came at a time when climate extremes could reduce crop output and trigger food price spikes. Climate change without adaptation can potentially affect farm livelihood and all aspects of food security. For example, Japan heavily depends on imported crops for animal … Continue reading

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Japan’s workforce set to halve in farm sector in 2040: report

TOKYO, Jan. 16 ― The Japanese government’s new labor projection suggests that the workforce in the farm sector may shrink by more than half in 2040, if there were no growth in the country’s economy and no action to increase of working women and older workers. Low birth rates have left Japan with one of the world’s oldest and fastest ageing populations. A report released on Jan. 15 by the labor ministry’s commission on workforce said that the number of workers in the agriculture sector would drop from 2.2 million in 2017 to 1 million in 2040. The entire Japanese workforce would fall 22 percent to 52.5 million in 2040, … Continue reading

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Japan’s 2018 food exports will likely hit record 90 billion yen

TOKYO, Jan. 20 ― Japan’s food exports rose for the ninth consecutive month in November 2018, thanks to largely to appetite for wagyu beef and fruits in neighboring Asian countries, official data has showed. Total shipments of agriculture products, processed foods and seafood soared 9% to 85.2 billion yen in November from a year earlier, according to the agriculture ministry. The primary agricultural products, which constitute half of total agricultural exports, increased 12% to 52.2 billion yen. Among those products, wagyu beef jumped 39% to 2.7 billion yen, as Cambodia solidified its position as the largest destination for Japanese wagyu beef, with value doubling to 800 million yen. Wagyu beef … Continue reading

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[Our Noh no Ikebana] “We at midwinter long for the coming of spring,” says Matsuno Tsuzuki, 79, from Agui Town, Aichi Prefecture

“I began Noh no Ikebana more than 35 years ago. First, I joined the class given by a master of Noh no Ikebana, Toshie Yokoi, from an agricultural cooperative in Higashi Chita (JA Aichi Chita) at her visit at our female members’ group event. When she made some adjustments, vegetables in my arrangement suddenly looked so beautiful, fresh and lively. That moved me a lot I remember. Soon, I joined the club of the female members in Agui. Currently, the club has 19 members, but it’ll be nice if we can have some younger members, too. I always look for the materials for my arrangements, while I’m at my farm … Continue reading

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Japan’s cooperatives promote locally grown cabbage in Tokyo

TOKYO, Jan. 13 ― Japanese main growers of fresh cabbage have joined hands to promote their products at Ota Ichiba, the country’s largest flower and vegetable wholesale market, at a time when the import volumes are rising in Japan. The increase in imports of cabbage is attributed to traders’ assumption of poor domestic cabbage crop due to bad weather last year. It had been raining a lot last September in production areas, namely Chiba, Kanagawa and Aichi prefectures. But the domestic cabbage crop recovered as favorable weather conditions continued since then, boosting domestic production. Despite late last year’s good harvest, the rising imports of cabbage has resulted in pushing domestic … Continue reading

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