Vol. 22 No. 3 November 2004

NEWS
Domestic

Rice Harvest Set to be Abundant; Government Rice Purchasing May Start Within Year
"G-Men" to Protect New Varieties of Farm Produce
FY 2005 MAFF Budget Request is 12.1% Up on FY 2004
Meteorological Agency to Issue Weather Bulletins for Farmers From 2006
Agricultural Production Decline Continues; Index Down 20% Over Past Decade
FSC Concludes Blanket Testing Cannot Detect BSE in Cattle Under 20 Months
Dairy Cow in Kyushu is Japan's 12th Case of BSE

International
Japan-ASEAN FTA Talks to Begin Next Spring, Aiming for Agreement Within 2 Years
Japan, Mexico Aim to Put FTA Agreement Into Effect in April 2005
JA Zenchu Voices Concern Over Sharp Rise in China's Exports of Leeks to Japan
Topics
Number of People in Japan Over 100 Rises to Record High of 23,000; Over 80% are Women
Environment, Science and Technology
The Cooling Effect of Farmland: 10 Ares of Paddy Equivalent to 80 Air Conditioners
New Technology Allows Mass Production of Genes of Protein that Makes Sour Foods Taste Sweet
Food Marketing and Distribution
MAFF to Conduct DNA Tests at Rice Inspection Centers

COMMENT
Disaster Prevention Day: Let us Take Greater Interest in Urban Agriculture