April 18, 2011
The March 11 tsunami caused enormous damage to paddy fields in the Tohoku region. “A shortfall of domestically-produced rice may occur. The government should flexibly respond to the emergency and review the present policy of reducing rice acreage nationwide,” stated many concerned farmers and agricultural-related workers.
The prefectures on the Pacific coast from Aomori to Chiba are suffering with rice paddies either drained or water-covered. Some farmers in the Fukushima area are even prohibited from planting rice seedlings due to radioactive soil contamination.
In Chiba, the system that includes drain pipe lines was broken affecting 20,000 hectares (49,420 acres). Ibaraki is suffering damage on 1,000 ha (2,471) according to prefectural government estimates. About 10,000 ha (24,710) of Miyagi paddies are damaged and rice cultivation on 5,000 ha (12,355) will be impossible. Nagano and Niigata are also suffering a great deal of damage to their rice fields.
According to the data currently available, 40,000 ha (98,840) will be out of production.
Given that one hectare of paddy can produce approximately five tons of rice, a shortfall of more than 200,000 tons of rice is projected for next year.
Furthermore, the government will restrict cultivation of crops on farmland in Fukushima because of the pollution of soil caused by the Fukushima nuclear accident.
The government already set the rice production target at 7,950,000 tons, down 290,000 tons from the previous year. In spite of the immense damage to the paddy fields, the government is making no attempt to review its policy of reducing rice production nationwide.
Yokoyama Shozo of the farmers’ movement said, “Now we are in a national emergency. The government should utilize available paddies. If the rice yield turns out to be a surplus next year, the government should step in to stabilize the rice price and not allow it to fall.”
The prefectures on the Pacific coast from Aomori to Chiba are suffering with rice paddies either drained or water-covered. Some farmers in the Fukushima area are even prohibited from planting rice seedlings due to radioactive soil contamination.
In Chiba, the system that includes drain pipe lines was broken affecting 20,000 hectares (49,420 acres). Ibaraki is suffering damage on 1,000 ha (2,471) according to prefectural government estimates. About 10,000 ha (24,710) of Miyagi paddies are damaged and rice cultivation on 5,000 ha (12,355) will be impossible. Nagano and Niigata are also suffering a great deal of damage to their rice fields.
According to the data currently available, 40,000 ha (98,840) will be out of production.
Given that one hectare of paddy can produce approximately five tons of rice, a shortfall of more than 200,000 tons of rice is projected for next year.
Furthermore, the government will restrict cultivation of crops on farmland in Fukushima because of the pollution of soil caused by the Fukushima nuclear accident.
The government already set the rice production target at 7,950,000 tons, down 290,000 tons from the previous year. In spite of the immense damage to the paddy fields, the government is making no attempt to review its policy of reducing rice production nationwide.
Yokoyama Shozo of the farmers’ movement said, “Now we are in a national emergency. The government should utilize available paddies. If the rice yield turns out to be a surplus next year, the government should step in to stabilize the rice price and not allow it to fall.”
