The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries started a campaign in the city of Kumamoto on Thursday, Jan. 7, to explain the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, its impact on domestic farm production and the government’s measures to cope with expected changes. Many of some 200 participants at the meeting, mainly officials of farm co-ops and local governments in the Kyushu region and Okinawa Prefecture, voiced concern over the government’s estimate on the impact of the agreement, which predicted that the current volume of domestic agricultural production can be maintained through the government’s support measures even after the agreement takes effect. Some asked for estimates that do not take the government’s … Continue reading →

  More than 80 percent of heads of primary agricultural co-operatives nationwide said aging of farmers is a threat to sustainable regional agriculture, The Japan Agricultural News survey showed. The survey was conducted in November on heads of 679 primary JAs nationwide, and 523 responded. Asked to give issues of concern for regional agriculture, 83 percent, the largest percentage, chose aging and lack of successors, followed by 51 percent who said they worry about dwindling prices of farm products, 47 percent who are threatened by progress in trade liberalization moves such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement and 39 percent who are concerned over reduced farm support policies. The results indicate … Continue reading →

90 percent of heads of primary agricultural co-operatives (JAs) do not give high marks to the agricultural policies of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade agreement and revision of the Agricultural Co-operatives Society Law, The Japan Agricultural News survey showed. The survey was conducted in November on heads of the 679 primary JAs nationwide, and 523 responded. More than 90 percent of them said the government failed to follow the Diet resolutions which pledge to protect key farm products in the TPP agreement, and that the law revision would adversely affect management of farm co-ops. Meanwhile, many of the heads expressed willingness to work on increasing … Continue reading →