Mihama Town, Mie Prefecture, has established a new system that allows town officials to work part-time at citrus farmers as a side job in order to compensate for the labor shortage of farmers who grow citrus, a specialty product.
Mihama Town, Mie Prefecture, which has a warm climate, is popular for citrus cultivation such as mandarin oranges.
However, due to the aging and declining population, the number of citrus farmers in the town has decreased to less than one-fifth of what it was about 30 years ago, and the shortage of workers has become an issue.
Under these circumstances, in order to compensate for the labor shortage and provide an opportunity to learn about the current state of citrus cultivation, Mihama Town has newly established a system that allows town employees to work part-time at citrus farmers as a side job.
Part-time work is permitted on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays during the three months from September to November, during the busy harvest season, and working hours are limited to
▽5 hours per week
and 1 hours per month so as not to adversely affect normal business at the town hall.
Through JA Ise's free employment agency, the employer will match the staff with citrus farmers in the town who are recruiting part-time jobs.
The Mihama Town Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Division says, "We hope that this will be a good opportunity for the staff to learn about the current situation of the town's specialty citrus by actually talking with farmers."