Japan Press Weekly

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2017 February 1 - 7 [POLITICS]

4 opposition parties together submit bill to improve financial support to livestock farmers

The Japanese Communist Party together with the Democratic, Social Democratic, and Liberal parties on February 2 submitted to the House of Representatives a bill to improve the existing financial support program for livestock farmers. This is the first bill proposed in the current Diet session by the four united opposition parties.

The program provides farmers raising cattle and pigs with financial support to make up part of the difference between standard production costs and standard selling prices. The resources for financing the scheme come from mandatory contributions paid by affected farmers and the national government. The four parties’ bill aims to increase the amount of assistance as well as the government share in contributions.

After the bill submission, lawmakers of the four parties held a joint press conference.

JCP Dietmember Hatayama Kazuya demanded that the ruling parties cooperate to enact the bill in order to guarantee a stable livelihood for livestock and dairy farmers.

LP lawmaker Tamaki Denny said that strengthening financial assistance to livestock and dairy farmers is a pressing task.