On April 1, 2022, I was appointed as the director of the Hokkaido Agricultural Research Center, NARO (HARC). I would like to take this opportunity to make a few remarks.
Hokkaido is Japan's largest food production base, with 1/4 of the cultivated area of the whole country, 14% of agricultural output, and 216% of calorie-based self-sufficiency rate (FY2020). Hokkaido can be said that it is technically leading Japanese agriculture as specialized agricultural management is developed with management area 13 times that of prefectures. In the development of agriculture and related industries in Hokkaido, there are great expectations for the development of agricultural technology, and I am aware that we must play a prominent role as an employee of NARO.
Although Hokkaido agriculture looks rock solid like this, the situation surrounding agriculture and rural areas has changed significantly in Hokkaido as well. We are facing various issues starting from economic globalization progress, shortage of bearers due to abandonment and aging, decline in community activities due to population decline and shrinking domestic food market, diversification of consumer needs, etc. In addition, the impact on the food service industry due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection that started in 2020, Grain market turmoil and material soaring due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine that began in 2022 has a great influence on Hokkaido agriculture. Furthermore, it is necessary to take prompt early measures toward the realization of carbon neutrality in 2050 such as global warming countermeasures and conversion to sustainable agriculture
In order to realize a strong agriculture, forestry and fishery industry in such a situation surrounding Japan's agriculture, the government is promoting research and development that creates innovations that will transform the production and distribution of agriculture and food. Simultaneously, we formulated the "Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation (MeaDRI)" or Green Food System Strategy" that realizes both productivity improvement and sustainability of the food, agriculture, forestry and fisheries industry through innovation. We aim to promote procurement, production, distribution, and consumption that contribute to reducing the environmental burden through collaboration between producers, businesses, and consumers.
The headquarters of NARO, which is the command tower is located in Tsukuba, and highly specialized research institutes and departments are located around the Tsukuba area. There are regional agricultural research centers in charge of each of the five regions (Hokkaido, Tohoku, Central Japan, Western Japan, Kyushu Okinawa). At HARC, we will make full use of its strengths as a member of NARO to solve various problems surrounding Hokkaido agriculture. Therefore, targeting the three fields of upland farming, dairy farming, and vegetable paddy farming in Hokkaido, we set our goal to develop production technology that would improve the self-sufficiency of crops and dairy production and increase the income of agricultural producers by 10% even when the agricultural population is declining. (Achievement target is 5 years from 2021).
A major force in achieving this goal is the spread and expansion of "smart agriculture" which enables ultra-labor saving and high-quality production by utilizing cutting-edge technologies such as robot technology and ICT. Until now, HARC has developed various smart agricultural technologies, and has been promoting field demonstrations and implementation in the field. In the private sector, smart agricultural machines such as agricultural drones and self-driving tractors are being sold and are being introduced to agricultural sites. On the other hand, the introduction of these technologies has problems such as high initial cost, inconsistent standards, and insufficient support system. In the future, we will work to solve these problems with the goal of "establishing a profitable management model" for the full-scale spread of smart agriculture.
As an approach to these research and technological developments, it is not possible to invest unlimited personnel, budgets, facilities and machinery. Therefore, we will continue to strengthen cooperation with research institutes, universities and private companies in the Hokkaido region. By forming a team with these institutions and strategically tackling issues, including joint research, I hope that speed, quality, and spillover will be greatly improved. Furthermore, we will work with the government, agriculture, and industry to maintain and expand the status of Hokkaido, which is Japan's food production base. We will also contribute to the stable supply of food to the whole country, the expansion of the food industry, and the regional revitalization centered on the agriculture and food industries, which emit less pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and greenhouse gases.
As mentioned above, all the employees will work together to develop the technology and implement the technology in society. Hence, we look forward to your continuous support and cooperation with HARC.
April 2022
Hokkaido Agricultural Research Center, NARO
Director NARABU Takashi
