Tag Archives: News

【News】 Agriculture minister pledges to attract companies to rural villages (Sept. 11, 2014)

  Agriculture minister Koya Nishikawa said Wednesday, Sept. 10, that the government will make use of tax incentives and other measures to encourage private companies such as food product manufacturers to set up plants in rural villages. Speaking at a symposium held in JA Aichi Toyota, an agricultural co-operative in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Nishikawa told farmers and JA officials that the government will make utmost efforts to double farmers’ incomes. In order to meet the goal, Nishikawa said it is important to support cooperation between farmers and companies under the “sixth industry” initiative – adding value to farm products by letting farmers engage in processing and marketing – and create … Continue reading

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【News】 Incorporated agricultural organization in Fukushima supports revitalization of local agriculture (Sept. 9, 2014)

Hirobumi Senbongi Green Farm, an incorporated agricultural organization based in the mountainous village of Showa in western Fukushima Prefecture, takes care of 604 rice paddies in the village, totaling 95 hectares, to support local farmers. Thanks to the firm, the area of abandoned farmland in the village decreased by 10 percent in the last decade. By entrusting their rice fields to Green Farm, local farmers can concentrate on highly profitable cultivation of baby’s breath, making the village the nation’s top production area of the flower. In Showa, located between 400 and 700 meters above sea level with a population of 1,400, 70 percent of farmers are aged 65 or more … Continue reading

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【News】 TPP Minister Amari seeks basic agreements in Japan-U.S. Talks (Sept. 7, 2014)

  The government will seek early settlement of the Japan-U.S. talks concerning tariffs on agricultural products, trying to reach basic agreements of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks, Akira Amari, minister in charge of Economic Revitalization and TPP indicated in the interview with the Japan Agricultural News and others. To reach the basic agreements in November that U.S. President Barack Obama aims at, the Japan-U.S. talks need to be concluded and the ministerial meeting has be held in October, Amari said. “President Obama has set the basic agreements in November as a goal, and the negotiations are moving toward it”, Amari said. “We have to plan two events (Japan-U.S. talks and … Continue reading

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【News】 Make ties and sail boats for future (Sept. 7, 2014)

Kotaro Yamada – Reed Boat School (Ishinomaki-shi, Miyagi Prefecture) – Three and a half years ago, the great earthquake hit the eastern part of Japan and tsunami swept away a large part of reed fields along the Kitakami River. Today, a specified non-profit organization (NPO) organized by local residents of Ishinomaki-shi, Miyagi Prefecture, is trying to restore the fields. In late August, it had an event for approximately 30 people, mostly the local and some from other areas, to offer an experience of building reed boats. The event was held for the first time by the organization, inviting Jin Ishikawa, a professional adventurer, as a lecturer. Ishikawa has learnt reed … Continue reading

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【News】 Smartphone game for virtual farming experiences popular among homemakers (Sept. 3, 2014)

  “Hatappi,” a game for experiencing farm work on smartphones, is getting popular among homemakers in their forties and fifties. In the game, we can enjoy tilling the land, planting seeds, pest control and harvesting of vegetables. The point is we can actually receive the harvested vegetables and fruits. LD Inc. (Meguro, Tokyo) developed this game and the number of users reached 60,000. In the game, we select equipment and materials such as plastic greenhouses or tunnels according to the guidance and continue cultivation of crops. We are supposed to do necessary tasks like picking or thinning of buds and branches in response to the growth condition of crops. The … Continue reading

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