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Reconstruction following the Great East Japan Earthquake
August 8, 2011(PM)
[Provisional Translation]
Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)
Q&As
(Abridged)
REPORTER: Rice futures trading was reopened today for the first time in decades. How do you view spreading concerns in the market about rice supply that result from the issue of radioactivity, represented by such trends as jumping prices? What if any countermeasures is the Government considering?
CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY EDANO: I think radioactivity is not the only cause. There has been flood damage in Niigata, a prefecture well known for rice production, and various other circumstances behind such concerns. However, we must respond with particular caution to the safety of rice, which is a staple food of the Japanese people. Therefore, just as I already reported, we have been cautiously ensuring the safety of rice from the stage of planting. Further efforts are also being carried out within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) so as to ensure that only rice harvested this year for which safety has been confirmed makes it to the markets.
(Abridged)
