Japan Press Weekly

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2011 August 17 - 23 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

JCP Dietmembers: Protect foods from radioactive contamination

Japanese Communist Party Dietmembers on August 19 urged Agriculture Minister Kano Michihiko to protect foods from radioactive contamination caused by the Fukushima accident and to provide support to rice and dairy farmers.

Regarding cattle farmers who are suffering hardships due to a ban on shipments of beef cattle which may have been fed straw contaminated with radioactive cesium, the JCP Dietmembers demanded that the government compensate them for their losses and take measures to enable them to continue farming.

The JCP Diemembers said that in order to distribute beef to the market, the government should have prefectures screen all cows at government expense. They also pointed out the need to make the utmost effort to take contaminated beef off the market and introduce a system to trace distribution channels.

When the JCP Dietmembers requested the government to investigate the level of radioactive substances at each rice-paddy field, publicize full information, and buy rice which is prevented from being shipped, the minister replied that he will study ways to meet the request.

Pointing out that long-term radioactive contamination is unavoidable and that it is important to establish an adequate inspection system, the JCP Dietmembers urged the minister to take measures to prevent food from being contaminated by radioactive substances by making inspection equipment immediately available and giving detailed instructions to rice and beef cattle farmers about the way to handle feedstuff and compost.

The agriculture minister said, “That is an most important suggestion. We will take your suggestion into consideration.”