Japan food exports rise in August, led by wagyu beef and fruits

TOKYO, Oct. 12 ― Japan’s food exports rose for the sixth consecutive month in August, thanks to largely to appetite for wagyu beef and fruits in neighboring Asian countries, official data has showed. But the data also showed the export growth of some agricultural products such as rice and Japanese green tea slowed on sluggish demand. Growers need to tap into middle-class households, not only wealthy consumers, experts said. Total shipments of agriculture products, processed foods and seafood soared 14% to 68.8 billion yen in August, which was 8.3 billion yen higher in the same month a year earlier, according to the agriculture ministry. The primary agricultural products, which constitute … Continue reading

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JA group Hokkaido aims to boost local rice exports to China

TOKYO, Sept. 30 ― Japanese farmers’ group in northern Japan is set to ship locally-grown rice to China in early October, after a rice mill and two fumigation warehouses in Hokkaido received the Chinese government’s approval. Beijing requires that imported rice be milled and fumigated at facilities certified by the Chinese government. Previously, Japan had only one rice mill in Kanagawa prefecture, near Tokyo, and two fumigation warehouses, approved by China. But it has changed since Chinese Premier Li Keqiang made a visit to Japan in May and agreed to authorize two new mills and five more fumigation warehouses for exports to China, a key step to access more Japanese … Continue reading

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Japan’s beef imports in Jan-Aug rise highest level since 2001

TOKYO, Sept. 28 ― Japan’s beef imports from January to August increased to the highest level since 2001, when beef imports soared after the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, in a Tokyo suburb. The increase in imports this year came as higher tariffs on U.S. frozen beef imports expired in March and Australian beef tries to gain market share through a free trade agreement with Japan. According to the finance ministry, beef imports in the eight months through August rose 6% to 404,490 metric tons from the same period a year ago. Australian and the U.S. beef account for 90 percent of total imports. Imports … Continue reading

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Young Japanese farmer creates icosahedron with rice bundles

FUKUSHIMA, Oct. 21 ― Autumn is the season when rice is hung to dry. So Naoshi Tsuchiya used golden rice bundles to create an icosahedron, like a giant soccer ball, in the rice paddy fields. “Bundles of rice stalks hung out to dry is a symbol of co-existence between humans and rice,” says the 34-year old Japanese rice farmer. Tsuchiya manages 18 hectares of rice paddy fields. A harvested rice field at the end of growing season is symbolically centered in Inawashiro, Fukushima prefecture. Tsuchiya stresses that rice to be hung to dry is a unique cultural scenery in rural areas in Japan and said with a big smile, “I … Continue reading

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TPP-11 trade deal likely take effect in earlier Jan 2019: minister

TOKYO, Oct. 20 ― Japan’s Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has said the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) without the United States, also known as TPP-11, will likely come into force in earlier January 2019. “The TPP-11 should take effect in earlier January next year,” Motegi said at an Oct. 19 press conference, pointing out the TPP-11 legislation passed through the Australian parliament on Oct. 18 and New Zealand’s parliament will soon pass its legislation. “I hope that we could well see other signatories in a position to follow Australia and New Zealand over the coming weeks and months,” he added. The TPP-11 had been signed by Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, … Continue reading

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