The Council for Promotion of Regulatory Reform, Shinzo Abe’s administration advisory panel, made a final list of recommendations, on November 7, concerning reforms which are to be implemented by ZEN-NOH (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Association) or a national business organization of agricultural cooperatives (JAs) as well as by designated organizations of raw milk producers. One of the key recommendations made by the Council calls for ZEN-NOH to drastically reform its farm input supply business which receives commissions from farmers through its member JAs in accordance with supply prices of agricultural inputs. The panel urges that ZEN-NOH should reform its supply business into a kind of consulting service which provides … Continue reading →

ZEN-NOH (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Association) or a national business organization of agricultural cooperatives (JAs) will put its new project into practice next March, which is to operate agricultural supply stores jointly with JAs for a purpose of supplying fertilizers, chemicals and other inputs directly to farmers. ZEN-NOH aims at making farmers increase their satisfaction with a wider selection of farm inputs at the supply stores or agrocenters by managing inventory in more efficient manners through its supply network crossing over prefectural borders. It is expected that ZEN-NOH’s business function will make it possible for JA’s agrocenter to avoid taking a risk of overstock. ZEN-NOH will open the first … Continue reading →