New Agriculture Policy	No.622 February 17, 2009
		The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries started January 27 reviewing of the Basic Plan on Food, Agriculture and Rural Development (compiled in 2005). The office will look into (1) the production adjustment (=to reduce rice fields) policy, (2) revision of Agricultural Land Act, (3) an increase of self-sufficiency rate in food production to 50% from 45% and (4) income securing policies for farmers. New steps will be implemented April, 2010. GOVERNMENT MUST SECURE FARMERS’ INCOME AND RAISE SELF- SUFFICIENCY RATE IN FOOD PRODUCTION Focus of Government is to Alter Agricultural Land Act Mass media say that options are given in reviewing the production adjustment policy or a 50% target in self-sufficiency rate in food production is difficult to attain. Lately we see a suggestion in the daily that sacked irregular workers and homeless workers (who use an internet café to sleep at night) should be shifted to the agricultural sector for a new job. The real intention of the government, however, is to amend the Agricultural Land Act so that commercial entities can possess arable land. It encourages other businesses to enter the agricultural sector. In other words, the government wants to abolish Article 1 of the Agricultural Land Act: that means to abandon the principle that farmers who cultivate soil should be landowners. The law advocates the independent farmer system and land reform in favor of producers. But the government will change the rule so that everyone could acquire land if the person could use arable land in an efficient way. It also plans to extend the land lease period to 50 years from the current 20 years. Farmer’s Income Should be Made Stable The government led by the Liberal Democratic Party, which does as big banks and multinational corporations tell, is not committed seriously in the agricultural issues. At the moment 60% of farmers are older than 65 years and more lands are abandoned for cultivation (400,000 hectares). Cropland in the mountains is left uncultivated, while consumers eat and buy less rice. In addition, the society today is aging, having a fewer number of new-born babies. Therefore, in the government prospect the self-sufficiency rate in food production will increase if commercial firms enter the agricultural sector and develop a large-scale production system. The steps to train successors, assure farming incomes and encourage environment-friendly production have been proven a cheap trick to gain good results in the elections or to please farmers and their organizations. The current income guarantee policies for farmers are carried out in the WTO framework, in which the government develops agriculture of Japan. Let’s look at EU countries. Subsidies (direct payment) to secure farmers’ income amount on the average 3.5 million Yen a household a year in Switzerland and 3.07 million Yen in Germany. The total of subsidies of 27 EU countries reaches approximately 7 trillion Yen, while in Japan the sum is several dozens of billions of Yen, which is equivalent to dozens of thousand Yen per producer a year. Polices taken in Japan are insufficient. Among the EU countries none has the bigger economy than Japan does. This fact shows the government pays less attention to promoting agriculture. People Should Know About Agriculture The production adjustment policy (=reduction of rice fields) has so many contradictions and should be abolished. The government believes the smaller rice field keeps the better price, which is deceptive. This stance must be dismissed. The controversial selective field reduction policy, which will buy off farmers, will enhance contradictoriness to make more complicated. Rice prices have been declining. It is the government itself that imports 800 thousands tons of rice annually, while it obliges farmers to decrease rice fields. The government should end the current production adjustment plan. Necessary policies are: to have 4 million-ton rice stocks for emergency, increase stocks for official assistance, spread a use of ground rice, take income securing measures to urge production of main crops, pay for land conservation and environmental protection, make direct payments to producers in the mountain areas and purchase total output of minor grains like feed grains, soybeans, azuki beans and buckwheat. After taking these measures, the government should encourage to improve self-sufficiency rate in food production and to train successors. Commercial firms should not be allowed to acquire arable land as the practice will bring back a landowner-peasant hierarchy. People should know more about agriculture. Safe, reliable and locally-based farm products are welcomed as is seen in the direct sale shops. Consumers, including children and business firms, should have opportunities to learn about food and have common actions with producers. This country should develop its own agriculture.