Tag Archives: News

【News】 Restructuring farming materials sector necessary, ruling party’s head of agricultural division says (Jan. 14, 2015)

  Shinjiro Koizumi, head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Agriculture and Forestry Division, said Wednesday, Jan. 13, that structural reform in procurement of farming materials is necessary to reduce costs as part of measures to cope with market liberalization under the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. Koizumi, who was visiting retailers and suppliers of farming materials in Ibaraki Prefecture, suggested merging of fertilizer manufacturing plants to improve productivity. He also pointed to the low ratio of agriculture-related loans by the Norinchukin Bank, saying that he will monitor the situation. The LDP plans to launch a project team headed by Koizumi to start discussing next week issues that remain to be dealt … Continue reading

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【News】 Winter beauty of Japan: Mt. Fuji and corn cobs (Jan. 10, 2016)

  Kotaro Yamada In winter, many tourists come to Oshio Village in Yamanashi Prefecture to see this charming sight – bright orange corn cobs hung out to dry outdoor with Mt. Fuji in the background. As a matter of fact, it’s already one of the winter attractions in Japan that can be experienced only in this season. The wooden rack for drying corn cobs belongs to a 73-year-old villager, Ken Amano. Every year in winter for about 20 years, he sets up the rack and hangs out approximately 700 corn cobs of “koshu” corn (a crop indigenous to Yamanashi Prefecture) to dry in the air. Until about 1950, koshu corn … Continue reading

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【News】 Farm ministry kicks off campaign to explain policies related to TPP (Jan. 8, 2015)

  The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries started a campaign in the city of Kumamoto on Thursday, Jan. 7, to explain the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, its impact on domestic farm production and the government’s measures to cope with expected changes. Many of some 200 participants at the meeting, mainly officials of farm co-ops and local governments in the Kyushu region and Okinawa Prefecture, voiced concern over the government’s estimate on the impact of the agreement, which predicted that the current volume of domestic agricultural production can be maintained through the government’s support measures even after the agreement takes effect. Some asked for estimates that do not take the government’s … Continue reading

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【News】 Fukuoka takes over quarantine procedure of strawberries for foreign tourists (Jan. 6, 2015)

  Ryoko Kihara In an effort to encourage foreign tourists to buy strawberries as gifts, Fukuoka Prefecture, known as a major production area of strawberries, has started a service of taking over the troublesome quarantine procedures for foreign travelers who wish to take the strawberries back home. In order to control pests, most countries require travelers coming back from abroad carrying plants, fruits and vegetables to go through quarantine at an airport before leaving the country where they purchased them. This is making it bothersome for tourists to buy farm products as gifts. Under the service, offered by a strawberry farm, a farm co-op and travel agency in the prefecture, … Continue reading

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【News】 Aging and lack of successor biggest threat to regional agriculture: survey (Jan. 5, 2015)

  More than 80 percent of heads of primary agricultural co-operatives nationwide said aging of farmers is a threat to sustainable regional agriculture, The Japan Agricultural News survey showed. The survey was conducted in November on heads of 679 primary JAs nationwide, and 523 responded. Asked to give issues of concern for regional agriculture, 83 percent, the largest percentage, chose aging and lack of successors, followed by 51 percent who said they worry about dwindling prices of farm products, 47 percent who are threatened by progress in trade liberalization moves such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement and 39 percent who are concerned over reduced farm support policies. The results indicate … Continue reading

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