With the acceleration of a decline in the population and the aging of society in recent years, a decrease in the agricultural workforce and an increase in abandoned farmlands due to rural depopulation and the aging of farmers have become an issue. On the other hand, the employment rate of people with disabilities is lower than the general employment rate, indicating a situation where people with disabilities cannot find work even if they would like to. As an initiative to solve both these agricultural and social welfare issues, the promotion of agriculture and social welfare collaboration (universal agriculture) has been spreading nationwide.
CTC established HINARI Corporation in as a special subsidiary to promote employment of people with disabilities. HINARI Corporation’s Hamamatsu Business Site is focused on the employment of human resources in the agricultural field in particular. Instead of engaging in farming itself, HINARI Corporation’s employees are entrusted with agriculture-related light contract work from multiple farmers. They are also tasked with the packaging of agricultural products and processed products as well as putting stickers on the products. The farmers’ products are used in the tea-making machines within the CTC Group and sold as novelties.
In establishing Hamamatsu Business Site, we took into account the key facts that it is a home of greenhouse cultivation where harvesting is possible all year around, there is stable work demand throughout the year for a range of agricultural products, and thus the employment of people with disabilities can be stabilized.
HINARI Corporation has a supervisor called the Support Manager. When mandated with new agricultural contract work, the Support Manager learns the details of the operational procedures from the farmer and prepares an operational manual that contains visual images. Through the visualization of the work procedures, both parties feel assured that contract work will be done properly. In addition, technical advice and the necessary tools to assist in the work are provided. As a result of these initiatives, HINARI Corporation was awarded as a superior company for the employment of the disabled by Hamamatsu City in . Some of the farmers that have entrusted work to us ended up expanding their business operations, proving that our efforts have contributed to improving the business of local farmers.
Moreover, HINARI Corporation employs a few top athletes in sports for the disabled who appear in international competitions including the Paralympics.
The CTC Group will continue to accelerate the development of rich and healthy workplaces with the aim of cultivating and expanding work opportunities to further promote the employment of people with disabilities.
