TOKYO, Nov. 9 ― Japan’s new agriculture minister, Takamori Yoshikawa, has pledged that his government would take up steps to steer the future of farming and nurture the next generation of farmers. Testifying before the lower house of agriculture committee on Nov. 8, Yoshikawa told fellow parliamentarians: “In order to ensure sustainable development of agriculture, we need to build a local pool of talents for farms of the future.” Yoshikawa also stressed that the government will speed up recovery efforts in areas that have been hit hard by natural disasters, including the recent Hokkaido earthquake and torrential rains in western Japan. In the latest cabinet reshuffle of Prime Minister Shinzo … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 15 ― On November 14, 2018, the Dairy Farmers’ Political Federation of Japan (Nihon Rakuno Seiji Renmei) gathered at the LDP headquarters in Nagata-cho, Chiyoda ward, Tokyo, to announce the launch of the initiatives for maintaining and developing small- and medium-sized businesses-most of them run by families-that are responsible for the majority of production of milk in Japan. Their ultimate goal to make a breakthrough for dairy farmers, many of which are close to being out of business. Approximately 700 farmers attended the meeting and explained the difficulties and the support they need to the diet members of the ruling party. The federation authorized the resolutions seeking political … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 3 ― Japan’s cabinet on Nov. 2 approved a draft bill to accept more foreign blue-collar workers from April next year, a controversial move for the country that is known for its strict immigration rules. The draft legislation, which the parliament is set to deliberate at the current extraordinary session, is designed to tackle the labor shortage in agriculture and some other industries in the face of the country’s aging population. Yet, the bill has been under attack from the opposition parties as well as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s own party, the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), because it may eventually lead to overhaul the country’s immigration policy. … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 6 ― Japan’s agriculture ministry has approved a draft report to amend restrictions to the importation of poultry from the United States in the event of deadly avian influenza outbreaks. From June 2012, Japan has a system that suspends poultry imports from the U.S. states that detect strains of the avian flu virus, and the ban will be lifted 90 days after all affected US poultry farms finish culling their birds and concludes necessary sanitary procedures. Avian flu, commonly referred to as bird flu, is an infectious viral disease that mainly effects birds, but can potentially cause serious illness in humans. This is a worldwide problem. The agriculture … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 3 ― A recent survey has revealed that the Japanese public is considering farmers, along with fishers and forestry workers, have heavy workloads and unstable incomes. The Japanese government carried out the survey, involving 1743 interviews between late August and early September. The findings showed that more than 80 percent of respondents cited workload intensity and unstable financial situations in the agricultural sector. The agriculture ministry needs to overcome the stigma attached to the farming sector and technology and machinery developments are also far more advanced than most of the general public realize. “We need to appeal to the public that agriculture is a unique way of life … Continue reading →