Japan lifts safeguard measure against US frozen beef imports

TOKYO, March 30 — Japan was set to lift its safeguard measure on frozen beef imports from April 1, making the U.S. more competitive with other meat suppliers such as Australia. The agriculture ministry announced March 29 that Tokyo was to reduce the frozen beef tariff rate from 50 percent to 38.5 percent in the fiscal year starting April 1. In August, rising imports of frozen beef triggered the safeguard measure for the remainder of the 2017 fiscal year through March 31. Yet, Japan has retained its safeguard mechanism in the event of a sharp rise in beef imports to exporting countries that do not currently have free trade agreements … Continue reading

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Fugashi snack in shape, color and size of panda poop becoming popular in Japan

TOKYO, March 28 – Matcha green-tea-flavored fun snack introduced this month by a souvenir shop inside JR Ueno Station in Taito ward, Tokyo, is already enjoying huge popularity today. The name of the goody is, believe or not, “Panda no Unko” which means panda poops in Japanese. The new tidbit made of dried wheat gluten is original product created after the birth of Shan Shan (or Xiang Xiang in Chinese), a giant panda cub, at the Ueno Zoo in June last year. The shop, Ueno Land, asked one traditional wheat gluten food manufacturer in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Matsuo, to make this amusing product that resembles a poop of a panda … Continue reading

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Milk price hits 10-year low as retailers use the product as loss leader

TOKYO, March 26 – Retail prices of milk remain low, with the government statistics showing the price of a 1-liter milk carton posting a 10-year low of 208 yen in Tokyo in February. This is because supermarkets, eager to attract customers amid rising wholesale prices of food products, are making milk the loss leader, given its high frequency of purchase. In an effort to rectify such bargain sales, the farm ministry started working on compiling a guideline for milk sales by the end of this month. Tokyu Store, a supermarket chain in Tokyo’s Meguro Ward which operates 81 stores in the Kanto region, cut prices of two milk products at … Continue reading

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Tokyo Seika to set up export-specialized unit to bolster fruit and vegetable export to 5 bln yen in FY2021

TOKYO, March 25 – Japan’s largest vegetable and fruit wholesaler is bolstering apple, strawberry, peach, and sweet potato export in 2018. The Tokyo-based wholesaler market, Tokyo Seika Co., Ltd., takes advantage of its capacity to source agricultural products stably from agricultural cooperatives (JAs) of all over Japan to stimulate the demand for Japanese products overseas. The wholesaler is going to set up a new unit in April to focus on business talks with producers, middle traders and trading companies and the supply of information to producers. As of April 1, 2018, Tokyo Seika will carry out organizational reform and establish “Export Office,” a new unit specialized in the export of … Continue reading

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Japan’s average temperature may rise 5.4 deg. C by 2099: study

TOKYO, March 2 — Japan’s average temperature is projected to rise by up to 5.4 degrees Celsius by 2099, which could cause more frequent natural disasters and wreak havoc on agriculture, a recent report by the environment ministry said. The report called for a long-term plan for dealing with some impacts of climate change, including on agriculture. The report foresees a decline in rice yield and quality. Rice production will continuously decrease by the end of this century under almost any climate change scenario, it said. It also noted the weather might become hotter, wetter or, perhaps, even colder in Japan. That would make plant diseases and pests move into … Continue reading

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