ISHIKAWA, Nov. 27 – Participants of the International Conference on Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), held in Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture, adopted a communique on Nov. 26, calling for continuing sustainable use of natural resources, ecosystems and harmony with environment cultivated in GIAHS sites. The GIAHS is a project established by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) with the purpose of maintaining the land use that protects biodiversity, traditional agriculture and farming methods that make full use of the environment, rural culture and landscapes. There are currently 62 systems in 22 countries that have been designated as GIAHS. Officials of the FAO, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 11 – The United States has lifted an import ban on Japan-grown fresh melon fruit, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced on Nov. 10. Melons can be shipped to the U.S. after meeting certain requirements, including obtaining a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Plant Protection Station stating they are free of cucumber green mottle mosaic virus that causes crop diseases. The ministry estimates that Japan will make shipments worth about 3 million yen to the U.S. in a year following the lifting of the ban. The U.S. government had been prohibiting imports of fresh melon fruit from Japan to prevent pest intrusion. As there had been … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 14 – Roughly 40 percent of leaf tobacco farms in Japan, 1,729 farms, are likely to stop production in 2022, in response to Japan Tobacco Inc.’s proposal to reduce the total tobacco cultivation area. The area where tobacco cultivation will be terminated is expected to reach 1,822 hectares, more than 30 percent of total domestic cultivation. Japan Tobacco has made the proposal for the first time in a decade amid shrinking tobacco demand due to such factors as stricter smoking regulations. Tobacco growers are also struggling with heavy workloads and difficulty to secure successors. After the firm started accepting applications from tobacco farmers nationwide to halt production along … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 6 – The Japanese government announced on Nov. 5 that it will relax entry restrictions for technical interns imposed under the COVID-19 pandemic. Foreign nationals coming to the country as technical interns will be accepted after those responsible for inviting them submit necessary documents including a written pledge and a training plan to relevant ministries and receive approval. As for the agriculture sector, farmers should file applications to the agriculture ministry to host technical interns. Applications will be accepted starting at 10 a.m. on Nov. 8. The agriculture ministry hopes easing of entry restrictions will help solve the problem of labor shortage in the farm sector. In January, … Continue reading →