G/AG/GEN/166  
 
15 September  2020 
(20-6185) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
 
AD HOC  REPORT ON COVID -19 MEASURES TAKEN BY JAPAN  
IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR  
SUBMISSION BY JAPAN  
The following submission, dated 15 September  2020,  is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Japan.  
 
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1.1.  The list below exemplifies  measures taken by Japan in relation to the COVID -19 pandemic  in 
the agricultural sector , which are based on the "Emergency Economic Measures to Cope with the 
Novel Coronavirus (COVID -19)" (Cabinet decision on 20  April 2020).  
1.2.  The list included in this ad hoc  report is  illustrative and not exhaustive. All the relevant 
measures  will be appropriately notified by the relevant notifications in due course.  
 
  
  G/AG/GEN/166  
 
- 2 - AD HOC  REPORT ON COVID -19 MEASURES  TAKEN BY JAPAN  
Measure  Agency  Short Description  
Emergency support project for ensuring the 
availability of labor force in agriculture  Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries 
(MAFF)  The program copes with the labor shortage due to the COVID -19 pandemic, in order 
to maintain agricultu ral production.  
Introduction and demonstration of smart 
agriculture to resolve labor shortage  Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries 
(MAFF)  The program introduces pilot projects using 'smart agriculture’ technologies for such 
crops and regions as vulnerable to labor shortage due to the COVID -19 pandemic.  
Emergency support special measures project 
such as fattening cattle management  Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries 
(MAFF)  The program supports fattening cattle producers’ management improvement 
activities in order to cope with the deterioration of their business due to the COVID -
19 pandemic.  
Emergency measures business f or facilitating 
distribution of beef calves  Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries 
(MAFF)  The program provides assistance to calf producers who need rescheduled shipments 
due to the COVID -19 pandemic.  
Projects to stabilize vegetable prices  Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries 
(MAFF)  The program provides  additional funds to the existing program in order to cope with 
the COVID -19 pandemic . 
Priority support for promotion and facility 
improvement to maintain and strengthen 
marketing potentials  Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries 
(MAFF)  The program provides assistance to entities improv ing their facilities in response to 
the demand shift in  markets due to the COVID -19 pandemic, as well as to their  sales 
promotion activities . 
Measures to strengthen supply of agricultural 
and livestock products  Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries 
(MAFF)  The program provides assistance to producer groups and buyers for their continuous 
and stable supply of agricultural and livestock products, in order to cope with the 
COVID-19 pandemic.  
Support for  production in  the next crop  season  
in response to new domestic and overseas 
demand  Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry an d Fisheries 
(MAFF)  The program provides assistance to  producers who grow such crops as vegetables, 
flowers, fruits and tea in the next cropping season, in order to cope with  the COVID -
19 pandemic.  
Support for promoting  the use of flowering 
plants in public facilities  Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries 
(MAFF)  The program supports activities to facilitate expanding the use of flowers in public 
facilities , in view that flowers has been negatively affected by the COVID -19 
pandemic.  
Emergency aid for supporting the inventory of 
Wagyu beef  Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries 
(MAFF)  The program is an  emergency aid  that provides assistance to  meat wholesalers who 
have accumulated Wagyu beef inventory du e to the COVID -19 pandemic.   
  G/AG/GEN/166  
 
- 3 - Measure  Agency  Short Description  
Emergency measures for sales promotion of 
agricultural  products  Ministry of Agriculture, 
Forestry and Fisheries 
(MAFF)  The program provides assistance to  producers' groups  and vendors for their  sales 
promotion activities and activities to provide  their products to school meal programs,  
in order to cope with the COVID -19 pandemic.  
Note:  
 The measures are included in the "Emergency Economic Measures to Cope with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID -19)" (Cabinet  decision on 20 April 2020) . The text of the 
cabinet decision (provisional translation in English) is available on the website of the Cabinet Office at:   
 https://www5.cao.go.jp/keizai1/keizaitaisaku/2020/20200420_economic_measures_all.pdf . 
 
 
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