Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2010 March 24 - 30 [AGRICULTURE]

Ichida calls for restoration of agriculture

As a guest speaker, Enishi Jinjo, chair of JA-Toyama (the Toyama prefecture chapter of the Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives), described the JCP as “consistently calling for high ideals” and expressed his hope for its advance in the upcoming House of Councilors election.

Stressing that restoring agriculture is one of the urgent tasks in order to revitalize the Japanese economy, Ichida noted that following in the footsteps of the former government led by the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties that had cut agricultural and forestry-related budgets by one trillion yen for 10 years, the Hatoyama Cabinet decreased the budgets from 4.9 to 4.6 percent of the total budget.

According to Ichida, the government has drastically cut subsidies for tulip bulbs, Toyama’s special product, from 48,000 yen per 10 are, claiming that planting tulips is not related to increasing the food self-sufficiency rate. “How can farmers continue their businesses under such conditions of abandonment?” Ichida criticized.

“Promotion of import liberalization has dealt a fatal blow to Japan’s agriculture. This must be corrected,” stressed Ichida, expressing the need to strengthen tariffs, review the WTO agreement, and establish trade rules to respect each nation’s food sovereignty.

Ichida also noted that in the Toyama Prefectural Assembly in September, a resolution opposing the conclusion of a Japan-U.S. FTA (Free Trade Agreement) submitted by JCP member Hizume Hiroko was adopted with the support of the LDP while the DPJ voted against it.
- Akahata, March 27, 2010