Japan News Update #14 (27 September – 11 October, 2021)
Stay updated on the latest agricultural news in Japan, that we publish every two weeks.
by Yuki Sano
Japan’s agricultural policy
LDP President Fumio Kishida has appointed Genjiro Kaneko, 77, a member of the upper house of the Diet and former chairman of the Budget Committee of the upper house of the Diet, as Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries minister in the new cabinet formed on April 4. It will be his first time joining the cabinet. His father, Iwazo Kaneko, was also a MAFF minister.
Source: New Agriculture Minister inaugurates Kishida Cabinet from 4th
It is time to rethink rice-based agricultural policy to protect farmland, which is the foundation of the food supply. The unstoppable decline in rice consumption, spurred on by the new coronavirus, has led to a clear drop in rice prices. 2021 rice prices are 20-30% lower than the previous year for many varieties used in restaurants.
Source: [Editorial] Shift from rice-oriented agriculture
An increasing number of high-end agricultural products developed in Japan, such as "Ruby Roman" and "Shine Muscat," have been exported from other countries despite the Plant Variety Protection and Seed Law amendment. Therefore, the government has stepped up measures to support Japanese growers by providing subsidies to register Japanese varieties overseas.
Source: Unauthorized exports of Japan-branded farm products evident
Queen Rouge, a new seedless grape from Nagano Prefecture, joined the ranks of Japan's premium products in late September. Seedlings will not be sold to farmers outside of Nagano Prefecture to protect the brand. However, there are also high hopes for exportability. In addition, trademarks registered in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Korea aim to counter counterfeit foreign products.
Source: Japan's Queen Rouge brings sweeter, luxury twist to grapes
Agri-tech in Japan
Nonagricultural big Japanese companies partner with US-based startups to promote AI and robotics in the agricultural sector. In this round, Burro has announced a $10.9 million Series A raise led by Toyota Ventures and S2G Ventures. The company's core offering is an autonomous cart that farmers can use to move crops from the field. Other Japanese companies, KUBOTA Corporation and Yamaha Motor, have additionally invested in Advanced Farm Technologies (AFT). AFT develops and manufactures strawberry harvesters that combine an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) with image sensors and artificial intelligence (AI).
Sources: Burro raises $10.9M for autonomous produce field transport
AGRI SMILE, a Japan-based agri-tech startup, announced the launch of "AGRIs by JA," which systematizes cultivation techniques and transforms the guidance operations of Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) into DX. It is part of a DX platform to achieve sustainable agriculture.
Source: AGRI SMILE Co., Ltd. Started providing "AGRIs by JA"
AGRIST in Miyazaki Prefecture, an agricultural startup, conducts experiments at "AI robot farm" to improve the production efficiency, including automatic harvester. With the increasing labour shortage among farmers, the company proposes the next generation of agriculture by assisting in the burden reduction and productivity improvement.
Source: AI robot farm in Miyazaki
COVID-19 and the food industry
The government decided to fully lift the COVID-19 emergency and pre-emergency measures on October 1. In addition, it relaxed the restrictions on business hours and allowed the resumption of serving alcoholic beverages on a limited basis after lifting the state of emergency. The restaurants and tourism industries have welcomed it, but some are wary of a resurgence of infectious.
Source: Japan's restaurant and tourism industries welcome decision to lift COVID-19 emergency
Aim to the sustainable food production and its obstacle
Japanese breweries import most of the hops, but about 5% are produced domestically, and the majority are grown in Tono, a small town in Iwate Prefecture. Affected by a declining population, production has dropped to less than one-fifth of its peak. However, Tono people formed "Tono Brewing" organization to brew a brighter future, bringing together stakeholders in the public and private sectors.
Source: Transforming Tono from hop heartland to boutique beer destination
Demand for bread and sweets made from dried crickets is rising in Japan due to their novelty and low environmental impact. Last December, Pasco Shikishima launched two sweets using dried cricket and sold out in two days. Ryohin Keikaku, the company behind MUJI, also launched cricket crackers in May 2020.
Source: Cricket-based foods catching on in Japan
MAFF will provide 310 million yen in fiscal 2021 to consortiums of universities and companies to build a stable food produce and supply system in space. It is part of the Cabinet Office's program and aims at the technology developed to solve food shortages.
Source: Japan Aiming to Produce Food in Space for Long Stays
The Tokyo District Court found that Yoshiki Akita, the former head of a significant Japanese egg producer, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for bribing a former MAFF minister to Takamori Yoshikawa. It is in hopes that the MAFF will oppose the introduction of strict international animal welfare standards, which would raise the cost.
Source: Former head of egg producer convicted for bribing ex-Japan farm minister