Ten highlights of Japanese agriculture: an island nation with little arable land ranks among the top in agriculture
Japan is an island nation with poor soil, a small area, few plains and very limited arable land. It lacks the natural conditions for developing agriculture, and its population density is very high. Yet Japan has likewise brought its agriculture to a level ahead of many countries. In many respects, China has also been learning from Japanese agriculture. In fact, China's actual agricultural situation is closer to Japan's. Let us take a look at the ten highlights of Japanese agriculture!
1 Although Japan's arable land area is very small, its commercialization rate is very high, reaching as much as 95%, and in some cases 100%. The commercialization rate is an important indicator of the transformation of agriculture from subsistence production to a commodity economy. Generally, a farming household produces only 1 to 2 varieties in a whole year, at most no more than 3 varieties, and almost all of the products produced are commodities, so the commercialization rate of agricultural products is extremely high. In other words, everything planted in the fields is a commodity.
2 Inakadate Village in Japan is the originator of Japanese rice paddy art. Inspired by crop circles, and in order to revitalize the local economy and develop tourism resources, the villagers began creating rice paddy art in 1993. Every year, more than 200,000 people visit Inakadate Village as tourists. The rice paddy art during the rice growing season attracts large numbers of visitors; after the rice harvest in autumn and winter, the rice straw is turned into works of art, likewise realizing the value of the rice paddies. Japan's rice paddy art has revitalized the planting industry. In addition to income from the sale of agricultural products, farmers can also increase their income by developing creative agriculture.
3 In Japanese agricultural production, the specialized production pattern of Japanese farming households is even more obvious. Generally speaking, Japanese farmers are all specialized households: those who grow strawberries all grow strawberries, those who grow tomatoes all grow tomatoes, and those who grow fresh flowers all grow fresh flowers. Apart from the commodities they grow themselves, all other products are obtained from the market. On the one hand, this achieves economies of scale; on the other hand, it promotes cooperation and exchange among farming households and prospers the agricultural products market.
4 Japan's rice export value from January to November 2016 reached 2.3 billion yen, already surpassing the historical record of 2015. Japan's sake export value also rose by 10% in 2016, reaching 15.5 billion yen (137 million USD), setting a new historical high for the seventh consecutive year.
5 The gene of Japanese industrialization is focus, and in agriculture this is even more perfectly manifested. Each region has its own regional industrial characteristics, and each farming household has its own leading product. With complementary advantages and mutual dependence, together they build the overall framework of Japan's agricultural economy.
6 Japan attaches great importance to land resources. In rural Japan, people can see that newly plowed land is all dark brown, with fine and uniform soil texture, like a sponge. In fact, Japan also uses chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizers, but the chemical fertilizers are dedicated compound fertilizers ( agricultural land, commercial and residential land, industrial land). For different crop varieties, the formula of the compound fertilizer is also different.
7 Japan is good at layering the quality, brand and marketing of agricultural products. In overseas markets, Japanese agricultural products represent high-end agricultural products.
8 More than half of Japanese farming households have chosen to use agricultural IoT technology, which has now greatly improved the production efficiency and circulation efficiency of agricultural products, and also plays a driving role in solving problems such as the aging of the agricultural labor force and labor shortages. However, Japan's agricultural internet is not as developed as China's. Chinese farmers directly entered the era of smartphones, and the huge population base has even given rise to "Yun Zhong Yang" in China, the world's largest agricultural technology Q&A website. Questions raised by farmers can receive expert responses within two minutes, providing real help to farmers' production.
9 Japanese agricultural and sideline products are of excellent quality. Whether they are ordinary varieties or new and superior varieties, they are all bright in color and uniform in specification, pleasing to the eye. All agricultural products awaiting sale in the market are carefully sorted and packaged; none are sold in bulk, let alone sold with mud or dead leaves. The packaging boxes of agricultural products are printed with the product name, place of origin and the producer's name.
10 Japanese agriculture establishes a "face-to-face mutual trust" relationship between producers and consumers. Japanese agricultural operators often invite consumers to come to their bases to experience planting and production, so that consumers truly know how vegetables and rice are grown. Through continuous communication and interaction, consumer trust in and loyalty to agricultural products are thereby enhanced.
In addition to Japan's way of operating agriculture, Japan's subsidy policies and land policies are also very important. What is most crucial, in fact, is also the thinking and breadth of mind of every agricultural operator.