Takashi Tomita, who heads an agricultural cooperative in Echizen, Fukui Prefecture, is considered a ray of hope for a farming sector on the brink of collapse.
Tomita's JA Echizen Takefu is a member of the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) group, the mammoth national organization that controls most of the distribution and procurement channels for the nation's farmers.
Tomita has broken most business ties with the JA group, bypassing its distribution channels and selling all rice for human consumption directly to wholesalers and retailers.