A training seminar for local farmers was held in three towns (Uryu, Numata, and Hokuryu): "Tateshita Terukazu - Paddy field agriculture policy for the 2023 harvest" "Takeuchi Saki - Methods for securing and accepting local farmers"

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

On Monday, February 27th, from 2pm, the "Regional Farmers Training Seminar" sponsored by the "Three Towns (Uryu, Numata, Hokuryu) Farming Improvement Promotion Council, Chairman Yutaka Sano (Mayor of Hokuryu)" was held at the Kitasorachi Agricultural Cooperative Hokuryu Branch (2nd floor training room). Over 50 farmers and association members from the three towns participated and listened attentively.

Three-town (Uryu, Numata, Hokuryu) Regional Farmers Training Seminar

• Organizer:Yutaka Sano, Chairman of the Three Towns (Uryu, Numata, Hokuryu) Agricultural Management Improvement Promotion Council (Mayor of Hokuryu Town)
• Date and Time:Monday, February 27, 2020, 2:00pm to 4:00pm
• place:Kitasorachi Agricultural Cooperative Association Hokuryu Branch, 2nd floor training room

As we work to improve the production quality and competitiveness of paddy rice, the region's staple crop, the environment surrounding agriculture is undergoing major changes.

The aim of this training session is to deepen understanding of the current state of farming and securing successors, and to contribute to the promotion of local agriculture, as the decline in the number of farmers and the issue of successors are beginning to have an impact on local areas and farming operations.

At the training session, lectures were given by Mr. Terukazu Tateshita, Chief Agricultural Policy Promotion Officer at the Asahikawa Regional Office of the Hokkaido Agricultural Policy Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and Ms. Saki Takeuchi, Manager of the Hokkaido Sales Division, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries JobAs Business Management Department, Mynavi Inc.

General MC: Keiko Tsuzuki, Director of the Industry Division, Hokuryu Town Hall

Greetings: Mr. Hirokuni Kitakiyo, Vice Chairman of the Three Towns Agricultural Improvement Promotion Council (Representative Director of Kitasorachi Agricultural Cooperative Association, Hokuryu District)

"Today, we are pleased to welcome so many people to the Regional Agricultural Training Seminar hosted by the Three Towns Agricultural Improvement Promotion Council. Thank you very much.

Today we have two lecturers with us who will talk about the requirements for utilizing rice paddies, and we will also hear from Manager Takeuchi of Mynavi Co., Ltd. about the system for accepting new farmers and agriculture.

In Hokuryu Town, there are 41 farmers working to turn their land into farmland, covering an area of 172 hectares. With this application, approximately 170 hectares will be converted into farmland, and progress is being made.

When I think about the town as a whole, I honestly would prefer that the flat areas not be turned into farmland. This area is mainly used for the improvement district's projects and for cultivating rice, so I'm thinking that having a field in the middle might make things a little difficult. I think it would be good if each type of business could be managed properly.

Currently, we are facing a major issue of a rapidly declining farming population. How to attract new farmers, agricultural trainees, and other people involved in agriculture has become a major challenge.

For this reason, I hope that you will listen carefully to today's training and be able to contribute in some way to the advancement of agriculture in the towns of Uryu, Numata, and Hokuryu.

"We will have time for questions later, so please feel free to speak up and I hope that this will be a meaningful time. I would like to conclude my opening remarks by saying, 'Thank you all for attending today.'"

Part 1 Lecture: Paddy field agriculture policy for the 2023 harvest

• Speaker: Mr. Terukazu Tateshita, Director of Agricultural Policy Promotion, Hokkaido Agricultural Policy Office, Asahikawa Regional Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Profile of Teruichi Tateshita

• Graduated from Hirosaki University Faculty of Agriculture in 1988
• He joined the Hokkaido Food Office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, where he was involved in agricultural product inspection, government rice storage and management, food labeling, and measures to stabilize business income.
  Since 2021, he has been working as the Chief Agricultural Policy Promotion Officer, promoting local agriculture and supporting farmers.

Lecture

The lecture was based on detailed materials and covered topics such as the payment of paddy field utilization grants and related budgets for the farmland promotion project.

• Supply and demand forecast for staple rice, etc. for 2022/2023 and 2023/2024
• Regarding crop conversion status for the 2021 and 2022 harvests
• Paddy field agriculture policy for the 2023 harvest (considering initiatives for wheat, soybeans, vegetables, and rice for flour)
• Review of rice paddies eligible for direct payment subsidies for rice paddy utilization
• Regarding rice paddies eligible for direct payment subsidies for rice paddy utilization (specification of the five-year water filling rule)
• Regarding the concept of "certain period" of watering for purposes other than rice cultivation (from the perspective of reducing damage caused by continuous cropping)
• Overview of the 2023 rice paddy utilization budget
• Farmland conversion promotion project (farmland conversion support, settlement promotion support, settlement support, system construction support)
• Overview of the Field Crop Production Area Development Promotion Project (formerly the Paddy Field Renovation Project) (Support Content and Image of Support for Producers)
• Direct payment subsidies for rice paddy utilization
• Project to Promote Development of New Rice Markets
• Changes to application items for feed rice

This was followed by a question and answer session.

Part 2 Lecture: "Methods for securing local leaders and how to accept them"

• Lecturer: Saki Takeuchi, Manager of Hokkaido Sales Department, Mynavi Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Job-As Business Division

Profile of Saki Takeuchi

• Born in Nagoya. Joined Mynavi Co., Ltd. in 2005
• 2018~ Living in Hokkaido for 6 years
• He is a recruitment consultant and has provided recruitment support to over 1,000 companies. Since 2015, he has been working in the agricultural field, supporting agricultural producers and JA local governments. He plans events for new farmers and agricultural job fairs, and also works as a lecturer on various training courses such as "recruitment skills training" and "PR methods for recruiting agricultural workers."
  In addition, we operate the primary industry recruitment site "Mynavi Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Job Us" and the internship information site "Job Us Internship" specializing in the primary industry.

Lecture

"I will be talking about methods for securing employment and success stories. I hope this will be helpful in thinking about how to attract people to our town.

First of all, in order to secure workers for farming, it is important to first get to know the people you are dealing with (learning about the trends and values of those hoping to move to the area or become farmers), reflect on yourself (regional characteristics and initiatives), and learn from others (success stories).

1. Know your audience: Understand the values and trends of young people in job hunting and convey the appeal of agriculture

• Young people's values regarding work style: "zero overtime," "fun at work," and "a cheerful workplace"
• Get an idea of the agricultural industry (interest)
• Understand what you are looking for in a job (the importance of a job that allows you to grow and contribute to society)
• Digital communication broadens your horizons to the world
• Organize information transmission methods (add a function to allow applications to be made via smartphone)
• Creating and communicating the appeal of agriculture (clearly organizing and documenting it, and disseminating that information to the right target audience)
• Learn about the trends and values of those hoping to move to the area or work in agriculture (employment, work, income, lifestyle, transportation)

2. Reflecting on yourself: Communicating Hokkaido's characteristics, advantages, and current initiatives

• The road to mastery: Experience the benefits of Pyramid worksheets
• Online information gathering, consultations, event participation, local tours, training, and farming

3. Learn from others: Learn from various successful cases of farming (and think about how to convey information)

• The importance of conveying the "charm of people" and demonstrating a vision for the region that understands anxieties, worries, and requests, and is empathetic and considerate to diverse needs.
• How to convey, present, and deliver information
• Planning and system innovation
• It is important to convey the "charm of people"

(1) Nagano Prefecture case study (special website)

• Lively images of senior farmers (interview articles published), introduction of instructors, lifestyle information, online consultations, and antenna shops
• Information and lists of participants in the consultations (including progress, continuation, and termination) are shared on the cloud.
• Organizing information in an easy-to-understand manner for people interested in agriculture

(2) Case study of agricultural support provided by Nasushiobara City

• The key points are the diverse training content (you can choose from five courses that suit you) and the overwhelming support content (generous support from the government and local farmers).

(3) Case study of the establishment of the Kuriyama Agricultural Promotion Corporation

• PR information and system innovations (free farming and thorough support for local farmers)

Basic principles revealed by success stories

• "Charm and personality of the people," "Meeting people," "A region where I can realize my way of life and where I can empathize," and "Listening carefully to what others have to say."

This was followed by a question and answer session, where questions were asked about the situation after starting farming and follow-up care.

With boundless love, gratitude, and prayers, this Regional Agricultural Training Seminar will help participants understand the current state of farming, listen to the thoughts of those entering the agricultural industry to deepen their understanding, convey the appeal of local initiatives and the people, and lead the way to the promotion and development of regional agriculture in the future.

Other photos

Photos (38 photos) from the three towns (Uryu, Numata, Hokuryu) Regional Farmers Training Seminar are available here >>

Related articles and sites

Asahikawa Regional Base: Hokkaido Agricultural Administration Office

Hokkaido Agricultural Administration Office website…

Mynavi Agriculture - A comprehensive agricultural information site that gathers information on farming and agricultural news

Mynavi Agriculture - A comprehensive agricultural information site that gathers information on farming and agricultural news

"Mynavi Agriculture" is a comprehensive agricultural information media that provides information related to agriculture from a variety of perspectives. It offers the latest agricultural news and case studies, as well as casual discussions.

◇ Photography and editing: Noboru Terauchi Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi