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2011/04/02
Okada emphasises need for speedy action to deal with unfounded rumours over safety of agricultural produce
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On April 2, DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada visited a spinach producer in Hokota City, Ibaraki Prefecture, and listened to reports from local government leaders, Japan Agriculture Cooperative executives, Japan Fisheries Cooperative and dairy farming representatives. Following this, he answered reporters’ questions.
Asked what immediate measures should be taken to assist with the situation in Ibaraki as one of the areas affected by the disaster, Okada replied, “Basically, the nuclear reactor must be brought into a stable condition. Until this happens, we will see repeats of this kind of incident [in which shipping bans are placed on food produce].”
Okada went on, “Until [stabilization] is achieved, the government must compensate producers for falls in price following the spread of unfounded rumours, and for reduction in the amount of produce that can be shipped, [problems] which I have heard about directly here today.”
With regard to rice production, Okada said, “We have now reached a point where farmers are now at the limit time-wise of deciding whether or not to commence production, but with the situation at the nuclear reactor as it is, many farmers are worried that even if they make every effort in producing rice, they may not be able to sell it. I was once more struck by the need to show clear government policy regarding these kinds of issues.”
Regarding the policy that would be required, Okada commented, “Experts must have a variety of discussions about this. The acreage of rice crops farmed is decreasing nationwide, and so one proposal suggested that if there is a possibility that farmers may not be able to ship rice even though they have produced it, then for areas that might be expected to suffer from the impact of radiation in future, a concentrated reduction of acreage farmed might be implemented, that is a system in which production is restricted, and farmers are compensated for the shortfall in production. I think that this kind of measure could be one thing to consider.” Okada also emphasized, “Producers of other agricultural produces aside from rice are also facing difficulties. We need to reassure consumers, and so it is necessary for the government to make clearer explanations.”
Okada went on to say that the safety limits for radiation in produce had been established based on scientific reasons, but their over-strict application had caused harm, and that there were questions over the rationality of banning shipment of all produce from a particular prefecture. He also indicated that there were potential problems with the fact that the criteria for lifting a ban on shipping of produce that had initially been banned had not be clearly stipulated. Okada said that until such issues are resolved, “I believe it will not be possible for farmers to produce their crops with peace of mind.” He added that his discussions had “reminded me just how crucial it is to let affected farmers know when they may be able to receive financing or compensation.”
With regard to the possibility of reviewing the provisional safety criteria, Okada said, “I believe that the criteria should be set scientifically. There is no mistaking the fact that they are extremely strict criteria, but the Food Safety Commission has expressed the intention of continuing with the current criteria, and so we must respect this as a conclusion that has been reached by scientists.”
Okada added, “However, there still remains room for debate over whether it is scientific or reasonable to ban shipments of all produce from a prefecture, when only a portion has been found to exceed [safety limits], or whether it is acceptable to place restrictions on all produce, after produce grown in the open has been found to exceed safety limits despite the fact that most produce from that area is grown in greenhouses. We must hold discussions on these kinds of issues.” He said that he was not calling for scientifically determined criteria to be relaxed, but stressed that it was “important to debate thoroughly the issue of whether, having clearly stipulated scientifically-based criteria, unnecessary anxiety and damage was being caused by interpreting such criteria too rigidly.”
Okada also commented on compensation for farmers, saying, “Today, the farm I visited was a spinach producer that is currently subject to shipping restrictions, so of course that farm would be eligible to receive compensation. However, they also face the twin issues of the provisional criteria and of shipping volumes decreasing and prices falling due to unfounded rumours.” He went on to say, “I feel that we must quickly set the administration in motion and enable farmers to feel that their future is secure once more.”
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