Manisan Jahe Kering Tembus Pasar Jepang — Harga Fantastis tapi Tetap Diburu Saat Musim Dingin!

Jepang sudah mengimpor manisan jahe kering dari salah satu negara di Asia Tenggara. Pada tanggal 17 Januari 2009 manisan jahe tersebut tampak dijual di sebuah supermarket di Meguro Tokyo. Ketika diamati ketebalan jahe manisan ini sekitar 3 - 4 mm. Jahe kering ditaburi dengan gula pasir, rasanya cukup enak. Mirip manisan pala yang di jual di Bogor. Manisan ini dikemas oleh perusahaan di Jepang, pada plastik tertulis asal negara eksportirnya, tanggal kadaluarsa 11 Maret 2009, cara penyimpanan dan terdapat tanda bahwa kemasan dan kertas labelnya dapat didaur ulang. Dalam satu kemasan plastik yang beratnya 150 gram dipasang bandrol harga 298 yen. Jadi harga per kilogramnya sekitar 1987 yen atau sekitar 200.000 rupiah. Biar harganya lumayan mahal tapi cocok dikonsumsi ketika musim dingin seperti sekarang ini untuk penghangat tubuh.

#ManisanJahe 

#PasarJepang 

#EksporPangan 

#CamilanMusimDingin 

#ProdukAsia

Japan’s Bold Masterplan to Dominate the Future of Global Agriculture Revealed!

The Policy Council of the Japan Forum on International Relations (JFIR) has completed its one year long deliberation on its Policy Recommendation on the theme of “Japan’s Strategy for its Agriculture in the Globalized World”. Following its presentation of the recommendations, signed by the 99 members of the Council, to Prime Ministers Taro Aso, the Policy Council of JFIR held a Press Conference to announce its publication of the recommendations on January 2009 in Tokyo. The initial briefing was conducted in Japanese by Mr. Ito Kenichi President of JFIR and Prof. Honma Masayoshi Head of the Task Force for the Recommendations.

The 31st Policy recommendations of The Policy Council, The Japan Forum on International Relations.


I. Key Concepts to Change the Structure of Japan’s Agriculture

1. Regard Japanese Agriculture as Growing Industry and Make it Target the world markets.
2. Establish 21st-Century Food Production Base Area to Ensure a Stable Food Supply.
3. Integrate Plans for Farmland Use within Plans for the Effective Use of the Total National Land Base.
4. Use Agriculture to Revitalize Local Economies.
5. Abolish Policies that Reduce Rice Acreage.
6. Implement Food Security Policy from Two Perspectives: a Stable, Daily Supply of Food, and a Possible Severe Food Shortage due to Emergency Conditions in Japan.
7. Open Japan’s Agriculture to the World.

II. Mid- to Long-Term Measures

8. Assemble 1.5 Million hectares of Land into 10,000 Core Farms in Food Production Base Areas Measuring about 100 hectares each.
9. Designate the Food Production Base Areas as Special Economic Zones for Deregulated Farming.
10. Establish Financing Policies to Encourage Production, and Forgive the Loans of Highly Effective Farm Managers.
11. Introduce Land Use Planning that Emphasizes Optimal Use of Farm Land and the Surrounding Environment.
12. Compile Road Maps Showing a move toward Eliminating Rice Production Quotas and Increasing Annual Rice Production to 12 million tons.
13. Establish with in the Prime Minister’s Office a Pan-Ministerial Organization Responsible for the Economic Security of the Japanese People.
14. Use Japan’s Agricultural Technologies to Help Eliminate Food Problems in the World.

III. Key Measures for Urgent Needs

15. Assemble Large Blocks of Farmland Rapidly, by Helping Farmers Transfer Ownership of Their Land by Retiring Early.
16. Develop Agriculture-Commerce-Industry Partnerships to Create New Employment Opportunities in Farming Villages.
17. Establish Tax- and Donation-based Mechanisms to support the Employment of Retirees and the Establishment of Multifunctional farming.
18. Assist in the Training of Professionals, Especially Young Professionals, Who Will Promote Agricultural Exports.
19. Establish a Market for Transfer of Production Quotas, as an Essential Step toward Eliminating Rice Acreage Reduction Measures.
20. Accept 50,000 Foreign Farmlands under a Government-regulated Program.
21. Show Leadership in Guiding WTO Agricultural Negotiation to a successful Conclusion.

#JapanAgriculture 

#FoodSecurity 

#AgriInnovation 

#GlobalFarming 

#PolicyReform

Hailing Prime Minister Aso's Stance towards China

by YUSHITA Hiroyuki,

Visiting Professor of Kyorin University

Newly-elected Prime Minister Aso Taro held bilateral talks respectively with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung-bank in October on the occasion of his attendance at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit in Beijing, thereby kicking off his summit-level diplomacy with neighboring Asian countries. After the repeated changes of Prime Minister in Japan, both national and international attention was focused on how the Japanese new leader works out his policies towards China and South Korea. To our delight, during these meetings, the basic outline for building solid relationships and cooperation was confirmed among those heads of government, and the implementation of reciprocal visits and a frequent exchange of views on the telephone were also agreed upon between Japan and South Korea. Worthy of special note concerning Japan's relations with China was Mr. Aso's remarks at the Reception to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China. Reading the press coverage of his remarks, I fully sympathized with him in the following three points.

The first point is concerning Mr. Aso's basic understanding of the nature of Japan-China relations. He stated, "It is not easy to name other countries as important to Japan as China. The essence of Japan-China bilateral relations is that our two countries are 'mutually indispensable to each other.' Japan and China are neighbors in perpetuity, that is, 'neighbors that cannot relocate.' Japan and China should make a concerted effort and grow together in order to realize an Asia that is both open and increasingly vibrant."

The second point is about Mr. Aso's basic perception of the status quo of Japan-China relations. He stated, "When we look at public opinion surveys regarding Japan-China relations, I cannot help feeling a touch of concern. In both Japan and China, the percentage of people holding at least some degree of positive feelings towards the other country does not reach even 30%. Even if we hold different views, we should always have a correct understanding of what the other is thinking. The important thing is to promote dialogue and exchanges at every possible level, thereby deepening our mutual understanding on broader basis."

The last point is about Mr. Aso's basic posture on the bilateral relations. He said, "We should not refrain from doing things in the name of 'friendship' between Japan and China. Rather, active cooperation through sound competition will constitute a true 'mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests.' There are a host of issues that Japan and China should engage in cooperatively, proactively sending a message from Asia to the world. We are looking towards the same future. We can have even more confidence in 'the latent power and vitality' of the Japan-China bilateral relationship."

Witnessing the dramatic rise of China, some Japanese have increased their wariness or strengthened their alarmist attitudes towards China. They center on such questions as "what will become of China" or "what China is trying to do." However, diplomacy or foreign relations are, by nature, processes on interactive basis; one nation cannot stand independent of other nations' actions. That is to say, China might transform itself according to the actions taken by Japan or the U.S. It is imperative, therefore, that Japan, instead of being passively gripped by anxiety or wariness, should enhance mutual understanding with China, thereby forging close ties with it, while the Japan-U.S. alliance remains the axis of Japan's foreign policy. Interestingly enough, France and Germany today go hand-in-hand taking the lead in advancing European integration; their present amity is startlingly contrasted to their hostile relationship in the past, exemplified by such instances as Franco-German War, World War I and World War II. I really hope to see Prime Minister Aso's basic posture on Japan-China relations will sooner or later take a concrete shape.

Source: GFJ Commentary, 20 November, 2008

Pertemuan Asosiasi Teh Jepang di awal tahun 2009

Di usianya yang menginjak 70 tahun, Japan Tea Association (JTA) atau Asosiasi Teh Jepang menyelenggarakan pesta Perayaan Tahun Baru pada tanggal 13 Januari 2009 di World Trade Center, berlokasi di Hamamatsucho, Tokyo. Pertemuan ini dihadiri oleh Pengurus dan anggota JTA, perwakilan Kedutaan Besar Negara penghasil teh (Malawi, India, Srilangka, Kenya dan Indonesia) pejabat dari Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Ministry of Health and Welfare, Media Masa, Instruktur Teh, perusahaan teh dan perusahaan yang mendukung industri minuman teh. Wakil KBRI Tokyo yang hadir dalam pertemuan ini Wakepri Bapak Ronny P. Yuliantoro, Atase Pertanian Pudjiatmoko dan Atase Perdagangan Tulus Budhianto.

Pada kesempatan ini Indonesia ditunjuk sebagai wakil dari Negara-negara pengekspor teh untuk memberikan sambutan. Sambutan ini disampaikan oleh Bapak Ronny P. Yuliantoro. Dalam sambutannya beliau menegaskan bahwa Indonesia telah meningkatkan kwalitas produksi teh sehingga menghasilkan teh yang aman dan enak dikonsumsi serta baik untuk kesehatan.

Sambutan Ketua JTA, Mr. Kenji Kataoka mengungkapkan bahwa kebutuhan teh Jepang cukup besar dibarengi banyak penggemar teh yang telah mengetahui khasiat teh untuk kesehatan, tetapi mereka juga sadar akan pentingnya mutu teh yang aman bagi tubuh mereka, sehingga para perusahaan industri teh sangat memperhatikan terhadap ketetapan Positive List untuk produk teh yang ditetapkan oleh pemerintah Jepang.

Asosiasi Teh Jepang telah melakukan kegiatan-kegiatan berupa seminar tentang proses pembuatan teh, cara penyajian teh, dan khasiat teh bagi kesehatan tubuh. Untuk menjaga hubungan baik dengan para pencinta teh, JTA juga melaksanakan lomba pidato untuk masyarakat pencinta teh.

Dalam sambutan Mr. Kobayashi pejabat dari Kementerian Pertanian, Kehutanan dan Perikanan (MAFF) Jepang menyatakan bahwa untuk menjamin keamanan minuman dan makanan Jepang pada prinsipnya mengacu kepada ketentuan yang telah diterapkan oleh WHO dan FAO.

Dari beliau juga diperoleh keterangan bahwa petani teh di Jepangpun perlu dibantu oleh pemerintah untuk memperoleh produksi yang baik dan berkesinambungan. Karena jumlah produksi teh dalam negeri Jepang masih kurang maka Jepang perlu mengimpor banyak teh dari negara lain.

Menurutnya harga teh yang telah diolah bisa mencapai 5 kali lipat dari harga bahan baku teh dari petani, sehingga para perusahaan minuman teh dapat memperoleh keuntungan yang lumayan. Ini merupakan informasi yang penting agar industri teh di Indonesia juga dapat terpacu berkembang pesat untuk mengisi pangsa pasar teh di masa datang.

Pemandangan yang sangat menarik pada acara ini adalah biasanya orang Jepang menggunakan minuman sake (minuman beralkohol) ketika bersulang, tetapi kali ini mereka bersulang menggunakan teh hitam tanpa gula yang telah mereka sediakan dengan rapih di atas nampan. Meskipun semua hadirin bersulang minum teh, semua hadirin tampak ceria. Berarti bukan hal yang aneh kalau bersulang mengangkat gelas berisi teh. Setelah bersulang, disela-sela perbincangan ketika makan siang satu perusahaan yang cukup besar menyampaikan keinginannya untuk melakukan penambahan impor teh Indonesia dalam tahun 2009. Arigatou Gozaimasu....