MAFF Decides FY 2004 Administrative Prices
for Livestock Products
On March 18, the Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) decided the
FY 2004 "administrative prices" for livestock products and related
measures. The package increases the FY 2004 budget
for the promotion of livestock farming environmental
countermeasures by more than 40%. It also
boosts the budget for the subsidized leasing
of livestock excreta disposal facilities
by 9 billion yen, to 30.1 billion yen. To
encourage production of milk for drinking
use in the summer, when demand is at its
highest, it includes a new provision for
9.80 yen/kg to be paid for every kilogram
of milk produced in excess of last year's
production volume (up to a total of 500 million
yen). The unit price for grants to producers
of milk for processing has
been reduced by 0.22 yen/kg to 10.52 yen/kg, and the "volume limit" has
remained unchanged for the first time in four years. Among the grants to
producers of beef calves, the guaranteed standard price
for beef calves of dairy breed has been reduced
by 2,000 yen per head to 129,000 yen.
[Return]
MAFF
to Establish "Organic JAS" Standard for Livestock Products
At a meeting of the Organic Livestock Products
Sub-committee of the Japan Agricultural Standard
Council held on March 23, the Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)
decided the establishment of a new JAS standard
for organic livestock products. The standard
will cover all aspects of organic livestock
products including the provenance of animals
and standards on health control. The new
standard incorporates detailed provisions,
which, among other things, adding mallard
(including mallard/domestic duck crossbreeds)
to MAFF's existing categorization of livestock and
poultry, to make nine categories in all.
The standard specifies the minimum floor
area per animal of livestock sheds (a key
issue in the debate leading up to the establishment
of the standard), for each livestock category,
e.g. 5 square meters for beef cattle (animals
weighing 340 kg or more) and 3 square meters
for breeding sows. Some members of the Sub-committee
expressed concern that, in some cases, the
floor areas allowed were smaller than those
specified under EU standards, but the meeting
concluded that they were suited to conditions
in Japan.
All feeds used in raising organic livestock
must either conform to the JAS for Livestock
Feeds Based on Organic Agricultural Products
as established on February 22 this year,
or be commercial organic livestock feeds
such as those conforming to the JAS for Organic
Agricultural Products.
The new JAS for Organic Livestock Products
is to be approved by a general meeting of
the Japan Agricultural Standard Council this
summer, along with the JAS for Organic Agricultural
Products before entering the notification
process.
[Return]
Minister Tells FTA Council Agreements Must
Take Account of Agricultural Issues
On March 30, the government held the first
meeting of a new Council of Ministers Concerned
With the Promotion of Economic Partnership,
established with a view to promoting the
formation of FTAs (free trade agreements). Ministers attending
the meeting included Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries Yoshiyuki Kamei, Minister of
Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi, and Minister of Economy, Trade
and Industry Shoichi Nakagawa. The Prime Minister told those
present that the Cabinet regarded the promotion
of economic partnership as a key issue and
expressed the hope that all involved would
act with a sense of urgency.
Following on from Singapore and Mexico, the
Japanese government is pursuing negotiations with four countries — Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia. Trade in agricultural products and the
opening up of labor markets (to allow the
movement of workers), are key issues.
The Council agreed that consensus building
within Japan and cooperation between the government ministries
and agencies concerned were essential for
the early conclusion of FTAs. Having explained the conditions facing
agriculture in Japan, including the need
to take account of issues such as the multi-functionality
of agriculture, food security and the food
self-sufficiency ratio, and the efforts being
made for structural reform in agriculture, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Yoshiyuki Kamei said the Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries would do everything
in its power to cooperate in promoting FTAs, but emphasized the importance of ensuring
that agreements took account of multi-functionality
and other issues.
[Return]
MAFF Steps Up Promotion of Agricultural Exports
On April 14, the Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) established
and held the first meeting of a new Agricultural,
Forestry and Fisheries Products and Foods
Export Promotion Headquarters, with a view
to promoting exports of Japanese agriculture,
forestry and fisheries products. Minister
of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Yoshiyuki
Kamei,who heads the new organization, told
the meeting it was important that the Headquarters
should take a positive and strategic approach
to strengthening systems for the promotion
of exports. A working team composed of high-ranking
officials, reporting to the Headquarters,
is to identify specific issues and suggest
directions for action by MAFF.
Besides seeking to identify the needs, etc.
of agricultural production areas in Japan aiming to export their products, the Headquarters
will work to expand the availability of information
on Japanese agricultural products, by hosting
food shows overseas and other means. The
headquarters will also be responsible for
strengthening cooperation with other government
ministries and agencies, prefectural governments and organizations concerned.
MAFF aims to play a mediatory role, helping
to identify specific issues in areas relating
to the exportation of agricultural products,
such as quarantine and labeling requirements.
On April 1, MAFF established an Export Promotion
Office with a view to strengthening its promotion
of exports of agricultural, forestry and
fisheries products to promising markets such
as Southeast Asia. Mr. Kamei said the export promotion drive
would involve MAFF as a whole, adding that
the establishment of the new Headquarters
was another step towards the implementation
of this initiative.
[Return]
Food Safety Commission to Review BSE Countermeasures
The Food Safety Commission (FSC) decided
on April 15 to review Japan's domestic measures against BSE (bovine
spongiform encephalopathy). Thirty months
have passed since the introduction of testing
of all slaughtered cattle and now that systems
such as the testing of all dead cattle are
in place, the FSC will conduct a comprehensive
review of domestic countermeasures, including
how they are implemented.
At a meeting held on the same day, several
commissioners called for the FSC to discuss
Japan's BSE countermeasures as a whole, as well
as collecting information on the BSE problem
in the United States, and expressed the view that the BSE countermeasures
currently in force in Japan should undergo a comprehensive review.
In addition to the validity of the
testing of all slaughtered cattle, which has become
a crucial issue in the discussions between
Japan and the United States over the lifting
of the ban on imports of beef from the United
States, the FSC is expected to examine a
range of issues including whether or not
safety measures such as the removal of "specified
risk parts" are working properly.
[Return]
Scheme for East Asian Emergency Rice Reserve
System Comes Closer to Reality
The scheme for an "East Asian Emergency
Rice Reserve System", in which Japan would play a key role, has come one step
closer to becoming a reality. This spring
saw the launch of a 3-year project, the first
year of which will be devoted to the tasks
of formulating policy on the operation of
the reserve and determining how much rice
the participating countries would be willing
to make available in the acute phase of a
food crisis. The Japanese government believes
the reserve system will bolster efforts to
ensure food security in East Asia, where rice is the staple food and, according
to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries, "will make a positive
contribution to the resolution of the problem
of world hunger".
The East Asian Emergency Rice Reserve System
involves the 13 countries of the ASEAN (Association
of South-East Asian Nations) plus China, Korea and Japan. ASEAN already has its own system, the AERR
(ASEAN Emergency Rice Reserve) under which
the member countries have agreed to supply
one another with food aid in the event of
a crisis. However, in practice, the system
did not work and was of no avail during the
severe rice shortage in Indonesia, in 1997.
For this reason, the reform and improvement
of the AERR became a key policy issue and,
in 2002, a meeting of AMAF+3 (AMAF: ASEAN
Ministers of Agriculture & Forestry),
a conference of agriculture and forestry
ministers from the 10 ASEAN nations plus
China, Korea and Japan, agreed to establish
a larger rice reserve system that included
East Asia.
The specific method adopted for the
creation of the reserve is the "earmark" method, whereby the
participating countries promise to make a certain volume of rice
or funds available for food aid purposes
in the event of a crisis, regardless of the
rice stocks they actually hold.
The 13 participating countries will also
consider a system under which aid is provided
on the basis of actual reserves with a view
to providing aid in crises and alleviating
poverty, together with the possibility of
a system under which agreements for the supply
of reserve rice on a commercial basis would
be concluded between countries that are liable
to suffer a shortage and countries with an
abundance of rice.
[Return]
Safeguard Measures on Beef and Pork Imports
Lifted
The lifting of the safeguard measures on
imports of fresh and chilled beef and pork
on March 31 is likely to lead to change in
the volume of imports. Retail demand for
fresh and chilled beef is strong and import
volume is likely to rise sharply. However,
import volume for pork this year has consistently
exceeded last year's levels, leading to a
perception of over-supply in the market,
so that a sudden surge in imports is unlikely.
The lifting of the safeguard measures will
reduce the tariff on fresh and chilled beef
from 50% to 38.5% as of April 1. The volume
of orders from retail stores to meat wholesalers
for April onwards is already rising. At present,
these orders center on medium and low-grade
beef, the price of which has been rising
in reflection of low supply. However, some
market observers expect the sharp rise in
import volume to be short-lived.
As regards pork, it is the trend of
frozen meat that will be the focus of attention.
Over the past two years, whenever safeguard
measures have been lifted, imports have surged
in April, immediately afterwards, especially
imports of frozen pork for processing. This
year, the prevalent view is that "things
will be different".
A certain volume of pork has been
imported in anticipation of "replacement demand" (demand shifting
over from beef to pork in the wake of the BSE problem) and as some
of this stock remains, it is likely that,
unlike in recent years, there will be no
surge in import volume, but a gradual increase.
Prices are also unlikely to see any substantial
fluctuation.
[Return]
MAFF Turns Down Latest US Proposal on Beef
Problem
Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries Mamoru Ishihara revealed on April
1 that the United States government had put
forward a new proposal with a view to resolving
the stalemate over Japan's ban on imports
of beef from the United States following
the outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy)
in that country. The United States proposed
that a panel of experts, to be set up at
the Office International des Epizooties (OIE;
World Organization for Animal Health), should
work out conditions for the lifting of the
import ban by the end of April.
On April 2, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries Yoshiyuki Kamei replied to
the US proposal that a solution be sought
through the OIE, put forward in a letter
from US Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman,
with a letter saying it was important that the US government propose appropriate
countermeasures, involving the testing of all slaughtered
cattle and the removal of "specified
risk parts", and that the Japanese and
US governments continue discussions with
a view to finding a solution. Mr. Kamei's
letter made clear Japan's position that the basic condition for
the lifting of the import ban was to satisfy
consumer demand for safety and peace of mind.
At the press conference following
the Cabinet meeting on April 6, Mr. Kamei said he felt
the ban on imports of beef from the United
States was likely to be prolonged, telling
reporters, "It is impossible to say
how things will turn out. The [Japanese and
US] positions are very different and I believe
it will take some time to find a solution."
Regarding the US proposal that a solution
be sought through the OIE, Mr. Kamei pointed
out that the OIE would begin discussing a
review of its BSE rules at the general meeting
in May, and once more rejected the US proposal
on the grounds that it would be difficult
to reach a solution by the end of April,
saying that he hoped to see a realistic response
from the United States.
On April 9, the US Department of Agriculture
announced that it had decided to reject a
request by an American meatpacker for permission
to conduct voluntary tests on all cattle
bound for Japan. With talks on the lifting of the import
ban at a standstill, the official rejection
of voluntary tests by private sector firms
in the United States has further reduced the chances of an early
resumption of imports of American beef to
Japan.
[Return]
JA Zenchu and Thai Ministers Agree on Need to Ensure
Coexistence of Agriculture
In anticipation of the start of full-scale
negotiations relating to the proposed FTA
(free trade agreement) between Japan and
Thailand, a delegation from JA Zenchu (the Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives)
met a number of Thai government ministers
with responsibility for economic affairs,
including Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, at the Prime Minister's Office in Bangkok.
JA Zenchu President Isamu Miyata emphasized that FTAs "must not sacrifice the agricultural
sector alone" and pressed for "special
consideration" to be given for rice,
sugar crops, chicken and other products in
which the Kingdom of Thailand has shown a strong interest. Prime Minister
Shinawatra expressed a realistic stance, telling the
JA Zenchu delegation it was extremely important that
Japanese and Thai agriculture did not come
into conflict.
Besides the Thai Prime Minister, the JA Zenchu delegation met a number of ministers with
responsibility for economic affairs, including
Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives
Somsak Thepsutin, Minister of Finance Somkid Jatusripitak, and Minister of Commerce Watana Muangsook.
Mr. Miyata explained the JA Group's
basic position on FTA negotiations with East Asian
countries to each of the ministers and stressed
the importance of ensuring that the proposed "Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership
Agreement" (JTEPA) promoted the future
growth and development of both countries.
Referring to four product categories of special
importance to Thailand — rice, sugar, starch, and chicken
— Mr. Miyata explained directly to
the ministers the stance of the JA Group,
which is to press for special consideration
to be given to sensitive products [that are
likely to suffer from competition with imports].
He also told the ministers that JA Zenchu fully supported the directions confirmed
last year, that the JTEPA should "keep
an appropriate balance between liberalization
and cooperation" in the field of agriculture.
Mr. Shinawatra replied that the Thai government would strive
to promote the growth and development of
agriculture in Japan and Thailand and stressed that both partners in the FTA
must come out winners.
For the Prime Minister himself to meet representatives
of a private sector organization is unusual
and indicative of the great expectations
that Thailand places on the proposed FTA with Japan.
[Return]
Ban on Imports of Processed Chicken Products
from China Lifted
On April 7, the Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) announced that
it would allow imports of yakitori [barbecued chicken on skewers] and other
processed chicken meat and chicken products
made at 35 factories in the People's Republic
of China to recommence. Imports of chicken and chicken
products from China had been banned due to the outbreak of avian
influenza in that country.
On the basis of on-site checks conducted
by a team of inspectors in late March, MAFF
has decided that these plants present no
problem in terms of hygiene. The ban on imports
of raw chicken meat remains in place.
[Return]
Green Tea Wakes You Up: Caffeine Content
Depends on Growth Stage, Method of Cultivation
A cup of green tea drives away sleepiness.
It's common to feel drowsy in spring, but
the new business and academic years have
started and neither students nor workers
can afford to doze. Yet some teas don't do
the job so well. Some teas wake you up, while
others don't. What's can the difference be?
The reason that drinking green tea drives
away sleepiness and clears the head is that
the caffeine in the tea leaves stimulates
the human central nervous system and boosts
brain activity. It is the same as drinking
coffee or black tea to drive off sleepiness.
The caffeine content of tea leaves depends
on growth stage and method of cultivation.
The young buds have a high caffeine content,
which diminishes as the leaf grows. This
is because the action of the enzymes that
synthesize caffeine is stronger in young
buds and weakens as the leaf matures. The
amount of caffeine in a leaf does increase
as the leaf grows, but does not keep pace
with the rate at which the amount of other
constituents increases. For this reason,
the percentage of caffeine in a mature leaf
as a whole is lower.
Tea grown under the shelter of yoshizu [reed screens] or kanreisha [lawn awnings] has a higher caffeine content
than tea grown under the open sky. The National
Institute of Vegetable and Tea Science (NIVTS),
part of the National Agriculture and Bio-oriented
Research Organization, explains that sheltering
the tea bushes prevents the breakdown of
caffeine so that more caffeine is left in
teas grown under yoshizu or kanreisha than in teas grown under the open sky.
High-quality teas made chiefly with new buds
and gyokuro [a superior grade of green tea] and matcha [powdered tea] which are grown under cover,
contain higher levels of caffeine. Green
teas on average have a caffeine content of
2-4% by weight when dried. Gyokuro and matcha have as much as 4%, but bancha [low-grade green tea] and hojicha [toasted tea], which are made chiefly with
more mature leaves have only 1.5-1.7%.
In addition to its stimulant properties,
caffeine has a diuretic effect. Bancha and hojicha are recommended if you do not want to take
too much caffeine before going to bed. By
contrast, if you want to drive away sleepiness
and concentrate on your studies or your work,
you could try gyokuro or other more expensive superior quality
teas. Quite apart from the caffeine content,
the quality and the price may surprise you,
and wake you up.
[Return]
NIID Develops Technique for Rapid Diagnosis
of Avian Influenza
Researchers at the National Institute of
Infectious Diseases (NIID) and Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd. have jointly developed
a technique that makes it possible to determine
whether or not a human subject has contracted
a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza
in approximately 30 minutes. Until now, the
process has generally taken around 3 hours,
or 4-5 hours including pre-test preparations.
With the new technique, it may be possible
to reduce the time required to between 1
1/2 hours and 2 hours.
The technique in question is used to detect
viruses of the subtype H5, such as the highly
pathogenic H5N1. The first step is to process
the genes of viruses found in a mucus sample
taken from the subject's throat in order
to increase their number. The new technique
is highly efficient, allowing this step to
be completed in around 30 minutes, after
which the strain can be identified immediately.
The researchers also say they expect to achieve
a detection sensitivity 50-500 times greater
than with conventional techniques.
Quicker diagnosis will help to prevent the
disease from spreading and the researchers
are aiming to have the practical development
work completed by the end of the year, with
a view to reducing the chances of mutant
strains of the avian influenza virus developing
inside patients' bodies. The researchers
say the technique can also be used to test
birds and animals for infection.
All influenza viruses affecting birds and
humans are known as Type A. Within this category
is a subtype of highly pathogenic strains
known as H5. Accurate identification of these
viruses requires genetic testing.
[Return]
Japan Grain Inspection Association to Use New
System to Supply Taste Information
The Japan Grain Inspection Association
(JGIA) is aiming to introduce a new system for the
inspection and labeling of rice, provisionally
known as the "Rice Information Provision
System", by the autumn of 2004. To reflect
diversifying consumer needs, JGIA will test
the safety, flavor, etc. of rice in a scientific
manner and will use its own mark and the
Internet to communicate the results to consumers.
JGIA aims to introduce the new system in
time for the 2004 rice harvest. The seimai hyoji ninshou seido [polished rice labeling certification system
operated by JGIA], which at present covers
more than 1 million tons of rice a year,
will be abandoned as of the end of this year.
The new "Rice Information Provision
System" is basically a new service aimed
at rice wholesalers and other distributors,
which includes a range of testing and information
services. JGIA's expertise in testing will be used to check
safety and quality in a scientific manner.
Samples of rice sent in by wholesalers will
be genetically tested to determine their
variety, and will be evaluated for flavor
and safety. Flavor evaluations will measure
amylose and protein content, which determine taste.
Safety tests will measure residual agricultural
chemicals and cadmium.
The results of the tests will be made available
to consumers using information technology.
Rice bags will carry marks identifying the
product as hinshu chekku mai ["variety checked rice"] or ryo shokumi mai ["good flavor rice"]. They will
also carry product numbers allowing consumers
to look up the details of test results on
the Internet.
As the use of cellular telephones with a
built-in camera is spreading rapidly, JGIA
is also considering the possibility of providing
information in the form of 2D barcodes that
will allow these phones to read a high volume
of information.
[Return]
The Regeneration of Food and Diet: Reform
Should Begin With Everyday Life
The Nihon Nogyo Shimbun's 75th Anniversary
Commemorative Campaign, entitled "Declaration in Support of 'The Regeneration
of Food and Diet' " and launched in
the hope of helping to correct the distortion
of food production patterns and eating habits
we see today, came to an end on March 30.
In six series of articles over the past 12
months, we have presented a range of initiatives
geared to this aim, yet the first step towards
a healthy lifestyle is surely to rethink
our daily eating habits. We should begin
with small changes in everyday life.
Dietary habits change with the times, but
in recent years the pace of change has been
startling. The myth of the safety of food
has been exploded, a wide range of foods
of uncertain nationality has come onto the
market and abnormal eating habits —
gorging oneself, eating irregular and unbalanced
meals, eating at different times from other
family members, eating at the same time and
at the same table but eating different foods
prepared to individual preferences — have become commonplace. Even
the culinary culture for which Japan is famed throughout the world is losing
its influence.
The object of the campaign, amidst this degeneration
of food and eating habits was to explore
possible remedies and consider what constitutes
ideal food production and eating habits.
Over the past year, we have urged our readers
to strive to recover the vitality of senses
that have become dulled under a pretense
of gourmet eating and reaffirm the importance
of ordinary, honest-to-goodness food.
Originally, we were all able to distinguish
tastes such as sweet, spicy and sour. Today,
this is no longer the case. Our sense of
taste has started to waver. We find we are
unable to distinguish tastes with our own
tongue, and that we can no longer trust the
rhythm of our body. The sight of a family
facing one another across the dinner table,
telling one another about their day, is a
thing of the past. The change in the eating
habits of the children who represent the
future is particularly worrying.
The message we most wished to put across
in the six series of articles was the importance
of taking note of anything that seems "strange"
in our day-to-day eating — This food
looks odd — This food smells different
from usual — Am I chewing less than
usual? — Is this the right way to hold
my chopsticks? … and so on.
To neglect one thing that seems "strange" is to
leave the door open for others. That is why it is important to make a
point of correcting problems as soon as one notices
them. No tortuous arguments or grim determination
are required. Our health is being undermined
by our failure to do the obvious, and we
are on the point of losing our culinary culture.
One thing to be wary of is the wealth of "useful information" on
food and diet that is on the street. Research on the
functional constituents of foods, widely
publicized by the media, is making a significant
contribution to the health of the nation.
But this is not to say it would be a good
idea to eat only a limited range of specified
foods. It is still important to eat balanced
meals.
In this sense, meals centering on rice are
the ideal way to ensure that one is getting
a wide range of nutrients. This is something
the Nihon Nogyo Shimbun has frequently pointed out in the course
of the series.
However, the agricultural aspect should not
be overlooked. Eating habits and agriculture
are two sides of the same coin. If the agricultural
sector is healthy, it is possible to eat
healthily. The thing that will allow us to
recover what we have lost and close the gap
between the producers and consumers of food
is talking over the subject of food and diet.
And for further progress, it has been said
that "food awareness education" is required.
The debate in preparation for the establishment
of a Basic Law on Food Awareness Education
is intensifying, but this is an important
matter that concerns everyone in Japan. Parents
and children, producers and consumers, young and old — whoever we
are, let us come together and set about regenerating
food and diet in Japan with excitement and
anticipation in our hearts and let us enjoy
the task. The first step towards restoring the soundness
of food and diet is to take an interest in
them.
from an editorial in
the March 31, 2004 issue of the Nihon Nogyo Shimbun)
