TOKYO, Nov. 11 – The United States has lifted an import ban on Japan-grown fresh melon fruit, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced on Nov. 10. Melons can be shipped to the U.S. after meeting certain requirements, including obtaining a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Plant Protection Station stating they are free of cucumber green mottle mosaic virus that causes crop diseases. The ministry estimates that Japan will make shipments worth about 3 million yen to the U.S. in a year following the lifting of the ban. The U.S. government had been prohibiting imports of fresh melon fruit from Japan to prevent pest intrusion. As there had been … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 14 – Roughly 40 percent of leaf tobacco farms in Japan, 1,729 farms, are likely to stop production in 2022, in response to Japan Tobacco Inc.’s proposal to reduce the total tobacco cultivation area. The area where tobacco cultivation will be terminated is expected to reach 1,822 hectares, more than 30 percent of total domestic cultivation. Japan Tobacco has made the proposal for the first time in a decade amid shrinking tobacco demand due to such factors as stricter smoking regulations. Tobacco growers are also struggling with heavy workloads and difficulty to secure successors. After the firm started accepting applications from tobacco farmers nationwide to halt production along … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 6 – The Japanese government announced on Nov. 5 that it will relax entry restrictions for technical interns imposed under the COVID-19 pandemic. Foreign nationals coming to the country as technical interns will be accepted after those responsible for inviting them submit necessary documents including a written pledge and a training plan to relevant ministries and receive approval. As for the agriculture sector, farmers should file applications to the agriculture ministry to host technical interns. Applications will be accepted starting at 10 a.m. on Nov. 8. The agriculture ministry hopes easing of entry restrictions will help solve the problem of labor shortage in the farm sector. In January, … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 4 -Farmers are facing immense hardship this winter. The rising oil prices are driving up the cost of farming materials made from fuel oil and petroleum products. With the prices of fertilizers and feeds continuing to rise, farmers in Japan are facing quadruple difficulties. The overall production cost is increasing, but they can’t reflect the additional burden on the prices of agricultural products. -Farmers trying to save crude oil as much as possible Kunihiko Sunouchi, a 44-year-old green pepper grower in Kamisu City, Ibaraki Prefecture, filled his oil tank in mid-October, about two weeks earlier than usual. Green peppers require more precise temperature control than other vegetables, and … Continue reading →