<The current state of Sorachi in a declining population society> Supporters help aging communities in northern Sorachi, introducing club activities and giving advice to new farmers [Hokkaido Shimbun Digital]

Thursday, June 20, 2024

The Hokkaido Shimbun Digital website, operated by the Hokkaido Shimbun Press (Sapporo), has published an article (dated June 19th) entitled "<The current state of Sorachi in a society with a declining population> Support staff help ageing communities in northern Sorachi, introducing club activities and giving advice to those looking to start farming." We would like to introduce this article to you.

The article states the following:

Hokuryu Town was the first town in the Sorachi region to introduce the system in fiscal 2013, and assigned two people to serve as public relations officers. Kenichi Sakuraba (66), who was assigned in fiscal 2019, is using his experience as a former agricultural cooperative employee to advise four new farmers.

Kosuke Sato (47), who is in his second year of farming and grows the town's specialty sunflower watermelons, said, "He helped me apply for subsidies from the national and prefectural governments." Since Sakuraba exhibited at the New Farmers Fair held in Sapporo and Tokyo, three new people have started farming in the town, contributing to the town's depopulation countermeasures.

Mori Chiaki (49), a councilor in the Planning and Promotion Division, said, "Town office staff are transferred every few years, but village supporters don't have fixed terms. They are reliable because they take a long-term view of agriculture."

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