Miyagi's 1,000 farmers protest against worsened government rice policy

The Miyagi Prefectural Union of Agricultural Cooperatives on August 21 held a rally in Sendai City in protest against the adverse revision of the government rice policy recently announced by the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Ministry. This is the first time that a prefectural union of agricultural cooperatives held such a protest rally.

More than 1,000 farmers took part in the rally, bringing thin mats made of straw or rush, on which following slogans were written: "We oppose Prime Minister Koizumi's irresponsible policy!" and "Farm Minister Takebe must resign!"

Under the ministry's new rice policy, rice imports will be increased and domestic rice will have to compete with cheaper imports in markets, without any protection of a minimum price guarantee.

Ohori Tetsu, the union chair, in his speech said that in the name of the new rice policy the government will end a supply-demand adjustment in order to cut expenditures. This is nothing but a reckless structural reform which will ruin Japan's agriculture if producers are held exclusively responsible to regulate production, he emphasized.

The Furukawa District Association for Promoting Rice Production's chair said that for 32 years rice producers have cooperated with the government policy on rice acreage reduction which is called production control, but they are increasingly irritated as the rice price has continued to decline.

The rally resolution adopted with loud cheers called for the government responsibility on production control to be maintained, compensation for rice producers at the time of rice price falls, and special safeguards to deal with increasing imports of agricultural products.

Before the rally was opened, the Japanese Communist Party Miyagi Prefectural Committee and the Miyagi Federation of Farmers Movement on the street encouraged the rally participants. (end)