Japan is attempting to reform its foreign agriculture labor program to improve farm labor availability.
The Japanese government recently enacted revised laws to develop a new system that focuses on nurturing and securing foreign talent starting in 2027, according to a USDA report.
As of Oct. 1, 2023, Japan’s population had declined 0.48% from the previous year to just over 124 million, recording the 13th consecutive year of decline, the report said. While Japan’s total population decline has continued since 2009, the trend has been preceded by a decrease in the number of farmers and the aging of the farming population.
The number of Japanese engaged in farming has dropped from approximately 2.4 million in 2000 to 1.16 million in 2023. Of those farmers who remain, the report said more than 70% are aged 65 and older.
“With the aging of the population and the decline in the number of people in rural areas, securing labor in the field of agriculture has become more challenging,” the report said. “Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is putting forward various measures to improve the situation, including utilization of smart agriculture, promotion of farmland consolidation, and promoting a diverse group of agricultural human resources and entities.”
The report said Japan’s new foreign ag labor system aims to develop foreign workers over three years, with a goal of “nurturing and securing foreign talent” and promoting them to the Specified Skilled Worker system after the three-year training period.
“The intention of these policy revisions is to bolster the economic vitality of Japanese agriculture, particularly in operations requiring the highest percentage of manual labor,” the report said. “Japanese authorities have also stated their goal of boosting Japanese agriculture exports. But, given the small scale of the policy revisions and program implementation, and given the continued aging and decline of Japan’s overall population, especially among the ag sector, domestic consumption will absorb the bulk of production the labor programs generate; we expect little impact on U.S. or other large foreign markets.”
