Food self-sufficiency rate in Japan marked 39 percent measured by calorific intake in fiscal 2013 for the fourth consecutive year, failing to increase due to decline in wheat and soybean production, according to farm ministry data released Tuesday, August 5. When measured by production value, domestic supply covered a record low of 65 percent of consumption, down 2 percentage points from fiscal 2012, affected by shrinking output of milk and other dairy products. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries hopes to raise food self-sufficiency to 50 percent of calorific intake and 70 percent in terms of value by fiscal 2020. The goal, widely deemed unachievable, indicates an urgent … Continue reading →

  Yuma Ida Cattle breeders in some parts of Fukushima Prefecture are at a loss as to how to cope with the accumulation of cattle manure, because they are having difficulty selling them as fertilizers due to harmful rumors related to the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The Fukushima prefectural government has been working with Tokyo Electric Power Co. to distribute manure with radiation levels below the government’s safety limit, but the moves are hindered by TEPCO’s failure to come to terms with transportation firms on distribution charges amid shortage of drivers and soaring fuel prices. Farmers’ criticism towards TEPCO is growing as they are worried that piles of … Continue reading →

Hit by an outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea, shipments of hogs are expected to post this year’s largest year-on-year drop in October, amounting to 88.9 percent of shipments a year before, Japan Pork Producers Association has announced. According to the association’s forecast compiled based on surveys on producers, the shipments in the July-December period are predicted to total 96.3 percent of the same period last year. Because of sluggish supply at home, pork imports have been maintained at high levels, and the association fears that the imports would increase further if this trend continues. The association is calling on producers to keep on taking disease prevention measures against PED, such … Continue reading →