Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries is promoting sales of items that have been significantly affected by COVID-19 by subsidizing shipping charges for online sales. Seven product categories are the targets of the subsidy: Japanese beef, vegetables and fruits, seafood, tea, flowers, game meats, and soba noodles. In principle, the subsidy is for primary products and excludes processed products.
The recruitment of Internet sales platforms to participate was announced on 19 June. So far, there are 38 electronic commerce websites registered in the program that can arrange and coordinate delivery in-house. When a producer lists an item on one of the sites, the site operator pays for shipping through a parcel delivery company and receives assistance from the government. Sites that feature seafood items are listed on the project website.
The project is named “Genki Itadakimasu Project” or “Eating with Energy Project.” A special logo mark has been created for the use of participating websites.
A look at one of the participating websites, Toyosu Ichiba, shows tuna, melons, scallops, sea urchin roe, Japanese eel, yellowtail, mackerel, horse mackerel, octopus, flowers and green tea. Despite the slump of the foodservice industry globally, electronic commerce sites are doing well. With the reduced prices made possible by the subsidy, the B-to-C internet sales channel may further expand. The ministry has held briefing sessions for sellers in person and via Zoom meetings.
On 7 September, the requirements to join the program were relaxed in order to attract more participants. The minimum number of members for an e-commerce site and the minimum number of number of views have been abolished, while the total amount of shipping charges that can be reimbursed per site has been reduced from JPY 10 million (USD 94,214, EUR 94,208) to JPY 5 million (USD 47,099, EUR 39,748).
Besides the internet sales promotion, the ministry is also subsidizing the cost of ingredients used at children’s cafeterias for food education activities. In principle, this is intended for items that have seen a drop of 20 percent or more in the wholesale price.
They are covering the cost of container and packaging cost when restaurants work adopt delivery and takeout service. And they are covering the cost of ingredients for sampling of foods during sales promotions, such as at highway service areas. In Japan, highway rest stops have restaurants and souvenir shops.
