Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2015 January 7 - 13 [POLITICS]

JCP Dietmembers call for measures to protect dairy farmers

Four Japanese Communist Party members of the Diet on January 9 visited the Ministry of Agriculture, requesting that urgent measures be taken to remedy the current serious situation in dairy and livestock management.

They requested that the government withdraw from negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement; conduct a Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) impact assessment and implement necessary preparations to avoid possible adverse effects; drastically increase the compensation price for milk producers; and assure an adequate price standard for beef calf production.

In response, the ministry’s parliamentary secretary showed a favorable response regarding a survey on the impact of the Japan-Australia EPA.

Showing that income levels of cattle farmers have dropped over the past decade, JCP Kami Tomoko (House of Councilors) said, “Long-term approaches are necessary in parallel with immediate measures.”

Hatayama Kazuya (House of Representatives, Hokkaido) pointed out that a shortage of successors is a factor in the decline in dairy production and urged the ministry to provide assistance for sustainable dairy farming. Saito Kazuko (HR, Minami-Kanto) said, “Stock farmers’ income level has been inadequate to compensate them for their efforts.” Tamura Takaaki (HR, Kyushu-Okinawa) said that cattle farmers who suffered damage from foot-and-mouth disease in Miyazaki are deeply concerned about Japan’s participation in the TPP talks.

Past related articles:
> Diet approves EPA with Australia, a major blow to Japan’s dairy industry [November 9, 2014]
> Hokkaido faces serious decline in dairy farming [September 24, 2014]