【News】 The Canadian government stresses the importance of negotiating trade with consideration on agriculture (Sept. 19, 2013)

  The delegation of the Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (JA-Zenchu), which is visiting Canada headed by JA-Zenchu Vice President Toshiaki Tobita, met Canadian government officials in charge of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade negotiations on Tuesday, September 17. In a meeting with the delegation, Tina Namiesniowski, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Canadian government’s Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food, said the Canadian negotiators of the TPP pact will protect the nation’s supply management systems, in which the government controls domestic production and restricts imports of key agricultural products, according to JA-Zenchu officials. All the political parties in Canada support the systems, and Canadian negotiators of the TPP talks must not make … Continue reading

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【News】 Cowshed-shaped houses add to the scenic beauty of a Hokkaido dairy farming village (Sept. 19, 2013)

Five cowshed-shaped houses grab attention of visitors to Kuromatsunaicho, a town with a thriving dairy industry located in the southern part of Hokkaido. The houses were built by the town’s municipal government, which since 2010 has been working on creating a townscape that maintains the cultural heritage of the farming region. “The house is designed to match the agricultural scenery,” says Ikuko Fujii, 41, who has lived in one of the houses for two years. “It is warm and comfortable even in winter and I’m happy living here.” The houses, which look just like cowsheds scattered about the town, have steep-slope roofs so that a mass of snow would slide … Continue reading

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【News】 Japanese agricultural group agrees with Canadian counterpart on the need to maintain both countries’ tariffs on key agricultural products (Sept. 18, 2013)

  The delegation of the Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (JA-Zenchu) to Canada, headed by JA-Zenchu Vice President Toshiaki Tobita, met with President Ron Bonnett of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the country’s largest farmers’ organization, on Monday, September 16. The JA-Zenchu delegation is visiting Canada to gather information on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade negotiations.In the meeting, JA-Zenchu and the Canadian federation reconfirmed the importance of protecting various forms of agriculture in each country when liberalizing trade systems. They agreed to continue urging each of their countries’ governments to adhere to their policy of keeping tariffs on key agricultural products in the TPP negotiations. According to JA-Zenchu officials, Bonnett stressed … Continue reading

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【Series】 Disaster victims and their challenges – Part 3: Evacuees to metropolitan areas (Sept. 13, 2013)

  Hiroko Obara Nearly 100 families who evacuated from Fukushima Prefecture after the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant accident live in Shirasagi Apartment, a municipally-owned, 12-story apartment building located in a quiet residential area in Nakano ward, Tokyo. Evacuees have been holding meetings once a week in a temporary meeting room in the building since September 2011. Two and a half years after the accident, more than 30 people still attend the weekly meeting called Kirasse (meaning “welcome”) Salon. In the salon, elderly people take care of children and listen to young mothers’ worries. “I feel relaxed coming here, looking at children’s smiling faces,” says Norio Takamatsu, 66, who had … Continue reading

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【News】 Government’s regulatory reform council to reach consensus on agricultural reform by year end (Sept. 13, 2013)

  The government’s regulatory reform council, chaired by Sumitomo Corp. Senior Adviser Motoyuki Oka, decided on Thursday, September 12, 49 items to discuss in five working groups. Eight items are related to the agricultural sector, including the role of Japan Agricultural Cooperatives and regional agricultural committees, and relaxing requirements for setting up agricultural enterprises. The council plans to reach conclusion by the end of this year, earlier than the previously-set deadline of June next year, in order to reflect the results in a plan to be created by the headquarters for the revitalization of the agricultural industry and regional economies, headed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The council adopted the … Continue reading

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