Japan Press Weekly

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2008 June 18 - 24 [AGRICULTURE]

JCP Chair Shii attends symposium on rebuilding Japan’s agriculture

At a symposium that the JCP held in Katori City in Chiba Prefecture on June 21, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo explained the JCP’s proposal published in March for the revitalization of Japan’s agriculture, criticizing the government for its policy of obliging farmers to reduce their rice production.

He was took part in the event as one of the five panelists, one of whom is a farmer.

Pointing out that the shortage of food and rising food prices, including grains, shows that the world is faced with a food crisis, Shii said, “The World Food Summit held in early June adopted a declaration calling on the world to increase food production.

Stating that increasing Japan’s food self-sufficiency rate is a matter of urgency under the present food crisis, Shii explained the JCP’s “4-point proposal” which calls for drastic changes in the ruling Liberal Democratic Pary’s agriculture policy.

Shii said, “It is contradictory of the government to urge farmers to reduce rice production with the present food crisis.”

He said that while Japan has an overstock of imported rice, it has had a shortfall of more than 200,000 tons of domestic rice for three consecutive years. In addition, due to the soaring wheat prices, demand for rice is increasing, he added.

Criticizing the fact that the government has forced farmers to reduce 100,000ha of rice paddy acreage in the current year, Shii got a round of applause when he said, “The JCP calls on the government to drastically review the present policy of reducing rice production while continuing rice imports and to cancel the forcible policy to reduce rice paddy acreage. The JCP calls for a rice production increase with a price support system.”

In addition, Shii said that calls for trade rules to be established to secure food sovereignty for all nations are increasing as dependence on market forces under the direction set by the World Trade Organization (WTO) has proved to be harmful.

The JCP Chiba Prefectural Committee and Katori City Committee sponsored the symposium attended by about 970 people, including municipal officials, agricultural cooperative officials, farmers, and consumers.

Katori City Mayor Ui Seiichi and Sosa City Mayor Ebato Tatsuo sent their messages of support to the symposium. - Akahata, June 22, 2008