[Proposal] The Ideal Future of Japan's Agricultural Administrative Data Utilization
Mitsubishi Research Institute analyzed the issues with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' 'eMAFF' systems and proposed a direction for agricultural administrative DX and data utilization.
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- 📰 Published: May 21, 2026 at 23:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 21, 2026 at 14:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 21, 2026 at 14:59 (27 min after Collected)
Mitsubishi Research Institute (MRI) has released a proposal regarding the current status and future direction of utilizing agricultural administrative data in Japan, focusing on the eMAFF application (a common application service) and eMAFF map (a common geospatial management system) developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).
1. Background
While food security is becoming increasingly critical, the agricultural sector faces a declining and aging workforce. Additionally, agricultural administrative procedures remain heavily reliant on paper and manual tasks, imposing significant burdens on farmers and municipal officials.
In response, MAFF has been developing eMAFF, aiming to digitize application procedures and visualize farmland information on digital maps.
However, eMAFF's adoption remains sluggish despite digitizing approximately 3,300 procedures. In fiscal year 2023, the cost per application reached 64,520 yen, highlighting issues with cost-effectiveness that have been flagged for improvement in government reviews.
Against this backdrop, MRI conducted an analysis as part of its 'Agricultural Management Digital Data Development and DX' initiative to verify the direction of eMAFF reorganization and the ideal future of data utilization.
2. Overview of the Proposal
The 2025 'Basic Plan for Food, Agriculture, and Rural Areas' outlined improvements such as 'eMAFF Application 2.0' and the use of AI-OCR. MRI views these as a realistic first step.
However, MRI believes the core reason for sluggish adoption is the introduction of eMAFF as a new system on top of existing local processes. Interviews with local agricultural committees and associations confirmed that farmers and municipalities find little merit in using eMAFF because existing, locally optimized workflows remain intact.
MRI argues that for a new eMAFF vision, it is essential to redesign the system as a foundation that utilizes gathered data to improve field productivity, verify policy effectiveness, and guide policy-making, rather than just reducing costs. By integrating various ledger data based on eMAFF maps, regional planning and farmland consolidation can be significantly enhanced.
MRI proposes a 'Three-Way Satisfaction' model:
- Regional planning and farmland consolidation for local municipalities
- Improved productivity for management bodies
- Reduced administrative costs and EBPM for the national government
3. Future Outlook
For the promotion of eMAFF Application 2.0, MRI suggests a phased approach starting with municipality-led pilot programs in limited regions, rather than a nationwide uniform rollout. By collaborating with local governments, counties, and vendors, MRI expects to facilitate regional planning reviews and consensus building for farmland consolidation.
It is crucial to integrate the placement of regional digital talent, the development of integrated data management platforms, and the construction of EBPM foundations using BI tools and generative AI.
MRI remains committed to evolving agricultural DX from a mere 'application mechanism' into a 'system that moves the future of regions' through co-creation with stakeholders.
1. Background
While food security is becoming increasingly critical, the agricultural sector faces a declining and aging workforce. Additionally, agricultural administrative procedures remain heavily reliant on paper and manual tasks, imposing significant burdens on farmers and municipal officials.
In response, MAFF has been developing eMAFF, aiming to digitize application procedures and visualize farmland information on digital maps.
However, eMAFF's adoption remains sluggish despite digitizing approximately 3,300 procedures. In fiscal year 2023, the cost per application reached 64,520 yen, highlighting issues with cost-effectiveness that have been flagged for improvement in government reviews.
Against this backdrop, MRI conducted an analysis as part of its 'Agricultural Management Digital Data Development and DX' initiative to verify the direction of eMAFF reorganization and the ideal future of data utilization.
2. Overview of the Proposal
The 2025 'Basic Plan for Food, Agriculture, and Rural Areas' outlined improvements such as 'eMAFF Application 2.0' and the use of AI-OCR. MRI views these as a realistic first step.
However, MRI believes the core reason for sluggish adoption is the introduction of eMAFF as a new system on top of existing local processes. Interviews with local agricultural committees and associations confirmed that farmers and municipalities find little merit in using eMAFF because existing, locally optimized workflows remain intact.
MRI argues that for a new eMAFF vision, it is essential to redesign the system as a foundation that utilizes gathered data to improve field productivity, verify policy effectiveness, and guide policy-making, rather than just reducing costs. By integrating various ledger data based on eMAFF maps, regional planning and farmland consolidation can be significantly enhanced.
MRI proposes a 'Three-Way Satisfaction' model:
- Regional planning and farmland consolidation for local municipalities
- Improved productivity for management bodies
- Reduced administrative costs and EBPM for the national government
3. Future Outlook
For the promotion of eMAFF Application 2.0, MRI suggests a phased approach starting with municipality-led pilot programs in limited regions, rather than a nationwide uniform rollout. By collaborating with local governments, counties, and vendors, MRI expects to facilitate regional planning reviews and consensus building for farmland consolidation.
It is crucial to integrate the placement of regional digital talent, the development of integrated data management platforms, and the construction of EBPM foundations using BI tools and generative AI.
MRI remains committed to evolving agricultural DX from a mere 'application mechanism' into a 'system that moves the future of regions' through co-creation with stakeholders.
FAQ
What are the benefits of eMAFF for farmers?
Currently, benefits are limited. The proposal aims to utilize data to optimize regional planning and farmland consolidation, eventually contributing to improved productivity on the ground.
What is the core point of MRI's agricultural DX proposal?
Beyond simple digitalization, it proposes redesigning systems as infrastructure for policy-making and field improvement, creating a 'win-win-win' model for municipalities, management bodies, and the national government.
Why is the reorganization into 'eMAFF Application 2.0' necessary?
Because the current system has low usage and cost-effectiveness issues; it requires integrating technologies like AI-OCR and fundamentally revising existing workflows.