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Japanese produce logistics upgraded as JA Hiroshima rolls out digital shipment system
VU
Major regional agricultural cooperative organisation in Japan proves how digital shipment systems can sharply reduce labour time, waiting periods and logistics bottlenecks in fresh produce distribution.
Long waiting times, paper-based shipment checks and labour-heavy sorting have long slowed produce distribution in regional Japan. A digital shipment system introduced by JA Hiroshima is now showing how those bottlenecks can be reduced.
JA Hiroshima is the prefectural organisation within Japan’s agricultural cooperative network, responsible for coordinating farming and produce distribution activities across Hiroshima Prefecture, with a strong focus on fruit and vegetable supply chains.
The system, branded “Midori Cloud Rakuraku Shipment,” was rolled out by JA Hiroshima and JA Zen-Noh Hiroshima across around 50 produce collection and consolidation points in Hiroshima Prefecture. It replaces handwritten shipping slips, manual counting and visual confirmation with digital label scanning and electronic shipment data processing.
According to a logistics productivity case study published by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the change delivered a 61.6 percent reduction in labour time for sorting and preparing individually selected produce items. In addition, truck and worker waiting times at collection points — which had previously reached up to 2.5 hours during busy periods — were reduced to around 30 minutes.
Shipment information that was once shared through paper documents and fax is now transmitted digitally, allowing faster confirmation of volumes and destinations and smoother coordination between producers, cooperatives, transport operators and downstream markets. The simplified process has also eased congestion during dispatch windows.
The case study notes that the shorter handling times help stabilise shipment schedules, an important factor for preserving freshness and quality in fruit and vegetable distribution. It also highlights the system as a practical response to labour shortages and rising logistics costs faced by regional producing areas.
Read the full study.
source: prtimes.jp, maff.go.jp
photo: maff.go.jp
