FY2026 National Awards for Outstanding Farm Management
Overview
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the National Council for Comprehensive Support for Developing Agricultural Leaders selected 38 recipients for the FY2026 National Awards for Outstanding Farm Management. Nine farm management entities received the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award, 11 received the Director-General of the Management Bureau Award, and 18 received the Council Chairperson Award. The awards have been presented since 1986 and recognize recipients in the categories of management improvement, technological innovation, value creation, regional development, workstyle reform, and developing future agricultural leaders.
Key points
- There were 38 award recipients in FY2026.
- The awards went to 9 entities for the Minister's Award, 11 for the Director-General of the Management Bureau Award, and 18 for the Council Chairperson Award.
- The awards have been presented since 1986.
Overview
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the National Council for Comprehensive Support for Developing Agricultural Leaders present awards to farmers with outstanding achievements in management improvement and the promotion and revitalization of regional agriculture, to further develop the businesses of motivated and capable farmers.
The two organizations selected 38 farm management entities for awards in FY2026.
Impact
Noto Wine Co., Ltd. resumed operations soon after suffering severe damage in the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. It led recovery and reconstruction in coordination with local wineries and relevant organizations, helping create local jobs and revitalize the community.
Details
The award categories are management improvement (individual and corporate farm management entities), technological innovation, value creation, regional development, workstyle reform, and developing future agricultural leaders. In the corporate management improvement category, the Minister's Award went to Green Tea Tsuchiyama Agricultural Producers' Cooperative, TAGOSAKU Co., Ltd., and Kamimuro Seicha Co., Ltd. Their efforts included upgrading tea factories, negotiating sales with wholesalers, switching to heat-tolerant varieties, and introducing tencha production and organic farming.
By category, the numbers receiving the Minister's Award, Director-General of the Management Bureau Award, and Chairperson Award, respectively, were: management improvement (individual), 1, 2, and 2; management improvement (corporate), 3, 3, and 7; technological innovation, 1, 1, and 1; value creation, 1, 2, and 2; and regional development, 1, 2, and 5 farm management entities. For workstyle reform, there were none, 1, and none; for developing future agricultural leaders, there were 2, none, and 1.
Eligible efforts include expanding or streamlining farm operations; introducing technologies that improve productivity; increasing the value of agricultural products; producing, processing, and selling products using local resources; creating worker-friendly workplaces; and developing the next generation of agricultural leaders.