The Japanese agricultural cooperative Wago is going to set up a joint venture with Japan’s flag carrier airline Japan Airlines. Under the name of JAL Agriport, the joint venture entails an agricultural project in Chiba prefecture. The project amounts to both the maintenance of a publicly accessible plantation and the marketing of locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Some of the fruits and vegetables that are going to be grown at the plantation are strawberries (in a greenhouse) and sweet potatoes. The plantation is at first accessible for local citizens in the suburbs of Chiba. However, new facilities that allow for the accommodation of both domestic and foreign tourists that travel by means of Narita airport are set to be opened in 2020.
JAL Agriport will also work on the development of a private brand, with which the joint venture will market produce that is being grown by the local agricultural sector. In the future, this produce will be exported throughout the world by cooperating with Narita Airport. New facilities are scheduled for completion in 2020, after which Narita Airport will function as a one stop service station. The facilities will provide support for anything related to export, such as customs and phytosanitary inspections.
JAL Agriport combines the international network of JAL with the agricultural expertise of Wagoen. JAL is a large international company with over 50 years of history and a workforce of over 10,000 employees. Wagoen is an agricultural cooperative that was founded in 1996. The company is based in Chiba prefecture and currently has a workforce of 228 staff members.