Role for dairy farms in reconstruction

Dairy farmers in Japan want to build 'reconstruction farms'. This is part of efforts to boost industry in areas affected by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster.

The Japanese dairy farmers, united in the Fukushima Dairy Farmers Cooperative (FDFC), are currently looking at several locations in the vicinity of the nuclear power plant. Residents had to flee after the meltdown made the area uninhabitable.

According to the plan, there should be 3 dairy farms, which together will keep 1.600 cows. One of the locations is to become a mass distribution center with a cold store for the milk produced. The cost of the project is expected to be around €90 million.

Groundbreaking research
The aim is to establish a center for research into biotechnology. The use and development of milking robots is one of the main features of the plan. Other facilities include: a production center for nutrient-rich animal feed and a research center for breeding high-quality cattle breeds.

Room will also be made for academic research by Fukushima University. The hope is that the collaboration between the dairy farmers and the university will lead to a new generation of experts in dairy farming.

Large-scale farming
According to the FDFC, large-scale farming is very important for the future of the industry. This is due to the aging of the Japanese population. Mass companies are a solution to this problem as these companies reduce production costs. Minoru Mankata, head of the cooperative, is very confident in the initiative: "We hope that running large-scale dairy farms will lead to cost savings. We will work hard to make it a success."

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