Within Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, there is growing dissatisfaction among lawmakers involved in agriculture over the government’s plan to increase rice production. The concern is that overproduction could lead to lower rice prices, which might upset farmers who support the party.
On the 6th, during a meeting at the party headquarters, Ichiro Miyashita, head of the party’s comprehensive agricultural policy research committee, and Ryosuke Kozuki, head of the agricultural department, along with other leaders, criticized the major points in the budget requests proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture for the next fiscal year. They opposed the inclusion of increased production in the documents, arguing that it would lead to excessive rice production, and demanded the reference be removed. Reportedly, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture were scolded by attending lawmakers at a meeting on the 5th.
The government’s shift from a policy of reducing rice production to increasing it has been met with strong criticism from agriculture-focused lawmakers, who argue that it disregards the efforts they have made to convince farmers to grow other crops. However, while the Ministry acknowledged that a shortage in rice production has caused high prices, some younger party members have expressed skepticism about focusing solely on farmers’ interests, suggesting a need to also consider consumers.
by MagazineKey4532