AGRI WEEK TOKYO 2021
From 13 October and 15 October, AGRI WEEK TOKYO took place at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. The event, organized by RX Japan, is a leading agriculture technology trade show in Japan covering all kinds of agricultural supplies, materials, technologies, and services. Under strict Corona measures, the event was attended by 400 exhibitors and attracted over 27,000 visitors. Agriculture Counsellor Denise Lutz visited the show on 13 October to stay abreast of the latest developments and innovations displayed onsite.
The event was well attended by many professionals, mainly from Japan, looking for new products and services. Exhibitors and attendants from overseas were few in number as business trips to Japan are still difficult due to Covid-19 travel restrictions and quarantine rules.
AGRINEXT, one of the 4 specialized shows of AGRI WEEK, attracted attention showing smart technologies for next-generation farming, such as plant factory systems, AI/IT solutions, drones and photovoltaic generation systems. Quite a few exhibitors showcased latest models of agricultural drones for spreading seeds, fertilizers and plant protection products.
There is a lot of interest in precision/smart farming technologies in Japan as the nation faces a serious labor shortage in the agricultural sector. The average age of farmers in Japan is 67,8 and 70 percent of farmers are 65 years old or older (as of Feb 2020). Labor-saving technologies are seen as a solution to sustain and improve the productivity of the farmers in Japan.
DENSO and DENSO AgriTech Solutions, a joint-venture between DENSO and Certhon in the Netherlands, exhibited their AI-powered, tomato harvesting robot “FARO”, an automatic irrigation system using sensing technologies and a traceability and logistics management system using RFID and QR code, among other products.
CCS showed different types of Philips GreenPower LED for plant factories and greenhouse horticulture as well as cultivation methods that match the lighting solutions. For instance, a cultivation method enabling the production of large lettuce over 250g while suppressing tip burn, and a solution to the problem of pollination for strawberry cultivation.
AgVenture Lab exhibited jointly with start-ups that offer various new products and services. AgVenture Lab was established in 2019 by Japan agricultural cooperatives (JA) group to facilitate open innovation in collaboration with partners such as start-ups, companies, government and universities. The start-ups present at the booth included: Agrihub offering a cloud-based smart phone app for the management of pesticide use, Agrist developing a harvesting robot for bell peppers, Otetsutabi providing a web-based matching platform for farms and short-term workers and CuboRex offering power-assisted wheels for transport of farm harvest on slopes. These start-ups are of different levels of technology, but all provide products and services that cater to the needs of Japanese farmers.
AGRI WEEK is held twice a year in Tokyo and Osaka. The next shows are scheduled for 8-10 March 2022 (Osaka) and 12-14 October 2022 (Tokyo).
AGRI WEEK TOKYO 2021 Show Report (including Exhibitor Directory)
https://www.agriexpo-tokyo.jp/en-gb/about/previous.html