Friday, January 30, 2009

Ministerial Meeting on Agricultural Policy Reforms

Prime Minister Taro Aso attended the first Ministerial Meeting on Agricultural Policy Reforms at the Diet building.

This meeting was established for a fundamental policy review to establish an agricultural structure that can respond to the improvement of Japan's capacity of self-sufficiency and to the progress of internationalization, through approaches to farmland system and farm management measures, effective use of rice fields, and measures to promote rural communities, among other targets. These efforts seek to thoroughly ensure the sustainability of Japan's agriculture and to contribute to stabilizing the demand and supply of food not only for Japan but also for the entire world.

In his opening address, Prime Minister Aso said, "The Ministerial Meeting on Agricultural Policy Reforms embodies the will of the whole government to tackle agricultural policy reforms. I find it necessary to consider from every possible aspect what we need to do to ensure safety and peace of mind concerning food, and to increase our rate of self-sufficiency, an issue that has attracted a great deal of attention lately. I would like the ministers concerned, with the Minister in Charge of Agricultural Policy Reforms taking the lead, to hold discussions with a sense of urgency, and to draw up a package of proposals. "