Japan’s young farmers say they want to talk with consumers via SNS and face-to-face to build strong followings

CHIBA, Feb. 22 – On February 22, 2023, the National Council of Agricultural Cooperative Youth Associations of Japan (JA Zenseikyo) held a panel discussion in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, on the secrets of creating fans of agriculture. Four panelists exchanged ideas on how to boost the number of fans and supporters of domestic agricultural and livestock products to pass domestic agriculture on to the next generation. They all agreed on the importance of using social networking sites (SNS) to encourage direct conversations with consumers. Harumi Sato, a Japanese model having approximately 460,000 followers on her Instagram, joined the discussion as a guest panelist. Three other panelists were Yasuyuki Yagisawa, the … Continue reading

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Kobe beef to be exported to Saudi Arabia for the first time

HYOGO, Feb. 25 – Kobe beef, a widely-known top-quality wagyu brand from Hyogo Prefecture, will be shipped to Saudi Arabia for the first time. It will also be the first export of Japanese beef to the country. Hyogo plans to ship Kobe beef equivalent to 150 cows in a year. The move is an attempt to make inroads into one of the leading economic giants in the Middle East as part of efforts to increase beef producers’ revenues and expand production of Kobe beef. A ban on exports of Japanese beef to Saudi Arabia was lifted in 2020. In October last year, Sanda Meat Center in the city of Kobe … Continue reading

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JA Kinosato introduces virtual market walk to attract distance shoppers (Wakayama Prefecture)

WAKAYAMA, Feb. 19 – It turns your smartphone into a farmers’ market. A local agricultural cooperative in Wakayama Prefecture (JA Kinosato) has started offering a virtual tour of Mekkemon Hiroba, its local farmers’ market in Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture. It allows online customers to enjoy shopping as if they are actually in the market. Distant and elderly shoppers who can’t easily visit the market can virtually walk around and find something new and attractive from the rich lineup of agricultural products in the market. That way, it can also create a new demand. The virtual reality (VR) service is accessible via smartphones and personal computers. The users can move freely … Continue reading

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Agriculture ministry kicks off new measure to support fostering of export-focused production areas

TOKYO, Feb. 14 — The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has come up with a new measure to nurture production areas focused on exports. The ministry will provide assistance to prefectures building infrastructure to promote exports, including cultivating demand and coping with regulations in importing countries. The ministry allocated 550 million yen in the fiscal 2022 second extra budget to support around 10 prefectures to develop a model project to produce and sell products overseas in large quantity. Under the Global Farmers / Fishermen / Foresters / Food Manufacturers Project (GFP) on nurturing flagship export-oriented production areas, the ministry will offer up to 50 million yen each in subsidies … Continue reading

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Turkey earthquake: Turkish farmers in Japan praying for safety of people back home

HOKKAIDO, OKAYAMA, Feb. 9 – According to some local reports, the death toll in Turkey and northern Syria is nearing 10,000 after the earthquake struck the southern part of Turkey. Thousands of people are still trapped under collapsed buildings, while the 72-hour time limit for saving lives (10:17 a.m. on February 9 in Japan time) is approaching. There are Turks living in Japan and involved in farming, and they are saddened by the tragedy that hit the fellow citizens, saying, “It’s hard not to be able to do anything” for their families and friends who live 85,000 kilometers away. -Mellal Seto (fruit farmer in Sapporo City, Hokkaido): I want to … Continue reading

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