Takashi Tomita, who heads an agricultural cooperative in Echizen, Fukui Prefecture, is considered a ray of hope for a farming sector on the brink of collapse.
Tomita¡¯s JA Echizen Takefu is a member of the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) group, the mammoth national organization that controls most of the distribution and procurement channels for the nation¡¯s farmers.
Tomita has broken most business ties with the JA group, bypassing its distribution channels and selling all rice for human consumption directly to wholesalers and retailers.
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