Japanese agriculture faces labor shortages and declining agricultural productivity due to an aging farming population. At the same time, a new model of farming is emerging in the Kanto, Tokai, and Hokuriku regions, where agricultural corporations are taking over farmland from retiring farmers and managing over 100 hectares of rice farming operations, while vegetable farms are employing dozens of full-time and part-time workers.
The Department of Farm Management Research addresses these developments through two lines of research and development: (1) supporting the adoption of smart agriculture technologies, including machinery with automatic steering capabilities and variable-rate fertilization systems that adjust fertilizer application based on crop growth and yield sensing, and (2) proposing labor management approaches for the effective utilization and training of an increasingly diversified farm workers. The department also serves as the national coordinator for farm management research across NARO, disseminating research findings and fostering collaboration with government agencies, industry partners and related organizations.
