The South Korean provincial government told the press that the governor of South Chungcheong is to make a four-day visit to Japan to deepen cooperative ties with Japanese prefectures
Governor Ahn Hee-Jung shall conclude his tour in Japan on Monday 31 October 2016 by taking part in the East Asia Provincial Government Agriculture Forum. The academic forum is centred on the topic of sustainable development of agriculture across eastern Asia.
According to event organisers, the show is expected to bring together more than 300 representatives of local governments in China, Japan and South Korea. The event will link across several topics from agriculture to food, health to urban-rural exchanges.
The topics discussed at the East Asia Provincial Government will not just be of regional importance but also global importance, particularly with the increases of urban development and reduced rural preservation.
These talks come at a time of great challenge for the far east Asian agricultural sector as Japan is suffering from a substantial talent shortage. It is estimated that the average age of a Japanese farmer is seven years older than the average age of farmers globally. It is also thought that because of the urbanisation trend that has continued since the end of the asset bubble crash in the 1990s, the agricultural sector has not been seen as a viable business investment by some for entrepreneurs and young businessmen and women.
The Japanese government is investing heavily in relation to their previous spending in the agricultural sector to regenerate the sector and bring new farming talent into the country. Despite this, new technologies are helping farming techniques and are being developed with the assistance of Japan's universities, so it is likely that more and more funding will go into autonomous farming and yield increase techniques over a employee more young people.
