Let's increase power to protect agriculture -- Akahata editorial, June 7 (excerpts)

The agricultural commissioners election, which takes place every third year, will be held on July 7. Some 30,000 commissioners for two thirds of the nation's municipalities are up for reelection.

The agricultural commissions have the authoritative right on farmland and are assigned to reflect farmers' opinions on agricultural policies of central and local governments.

Japan's agriculture and food safety are under critical conditions due to a rapid increase in imports of agricultural products, sharp fall of prices of domestic products, and the BSE outbreak.

The Koizumi Cabinet is going ahead with "structural reform" in agriculture which gives utmost care to large-scale farms while doing nothing to deal with increasing imports and price falls even though they are seriously affecting domestic farmers.

Farmers are worried that they won't be able to continue farming unless government policies are changed. So are local people and consumers, who want food safety, a good environment, and the rehabilitation of domestic agriculture.

The election for agricultural commissioners is a good opportunity for farmers to increase the power to fight against attacks on agriculture.

Agricultural commissions are expected to work on local governments to use local agricultural products for school lunches and take steps to help farmers solve financial problems.

They can also organize farmers and make representations to the central and local governments to call for an import control of agricultural products, steps to ensure stable producer prices, and compensations for damage from BSE.

The government suggests abolishing the public election system for agricultural commissioners because it wants agricultural commissions to work as its subcontractors in promoting "structural reform."

As many candidates as possible who will work to fight against the government agricultural policy must be elected.

The Japanese Communist Party has officially endorsed and recommended many candidates for the election throughout the country and published its policy proposals entitled, "The JCP fights against the Koizumi 'agricultural reform' to defend family farming and farmland and promote local agriculture." (end)