In an interview, Japan’s new Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister, Kotaro Nogami, stated that his government will fundamentally strengthen its efforts to achieve its goal of raising the country’s annual exports of agricultural products to ¥5 trillion (€400 bln) by 2030 amid social structural changes caused by the current pandemic. This will include increasing the number of cattle and expanding sales channels for the export of agricultural products such as rice, apples and grapes.
In the past six years, the nation’s agricultural income has increased by more than ¥500 billion thanks to farmland consolidation and forestry policies, among others. Those who are engaged in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries, have seen their markets continuing to shrink. For these parties, it is important to establish an exit strategy to sell agricultural products at reasonable prices and exports will clearly be part of this strategy. The government has secured about ¥610 billion in the emergency economic package for the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries. The budget will go toward such measures as business negotiations and sales promotion activities that will become necessary to immediately respond to an increase in overseas demand after the pandemic subsides.