Message from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe:
Yesterday in the speech I made on the second round of policies forming my Growth Strategy, I stated that we will double the income of agricultural enterprises and farming communities over ten years.
Losing no time, today I have come to a tea plantation in Oita Prefecture on the island of Kyushu. A construction firm newly launched agricultural operations, turning abandoned farmland into a beautiful tea plantation. Through a tie-up with a major beverage manufacturer, this company is now engaged in sixth-sector industry, extending its operations to processing, commercializing its products, and other areas.
I felt very strongly that people with drive are opening up new worlds within agriculture.
We will support agricultural enterprises that are working hard, aiming to make agriculture attractive to young people.
(Originally posted in Japanese at 13:10, May 18, 2013)
