自民じみん農林のうりん部会ぶかいの会議かいぎ コメ政策せいさく「需要じゅように応おうじた増産ぞうさん」に表現ひょうげん変更へんこう

The joint meeting of the Liberal Democratic Partys Agriculture and Forestry Committee and others approved leaving the final adjustments to the executives, after the expression “increase in rice production,” which had been set as a key policy pillar in the draft budget requests presented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, was changed to “increase in production according to demand.”

The executive committee on agriculture and forestry of the Liberal Democratic Party did not approve the main items of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries budget request for the next fiscal year on the 5th of this month. The executives expressed concern that the governments policy of increasing rice production would lead to an oversupply of rice, causing prices to fall and affecting producers.

At the joint meeting of the Agriculture and Forestry Committee and others, which was held again on the 8th, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries presented a revised draft of the main items.

In this context, the joint meeting agreed to leave the final adjustments to the discretion of the committee chair and other executives, since the expression increase rice production, which was initially set as a key policy pillar, was changed to increase production according to demand.

At a meeting on rice policy held prior to this, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, the Administrative Vice Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, told the attending lawmakers, We have been administering under the assumption that there is enough rice, but it has now become clear once again that we misjudged the outlook and a supply-demand gap has arisen.

There was a moment when he apologized, saying, I would like to offer my apologies.

After the meeting, Ichiro Miyashita, Chairman of the Comprehensive Agricultural and Forestry Policy Research Council, told reporters, We have confirmed that it is strictly increased production in response to demand, and that we will explain this in the budget.

Koizumi, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Seeking Greater Understanding Through Communication Regarding the outcome of the joint meeting held on the 8th by the LDPs Agriculture and Forestry Division and others, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Koizumi told reporters, Even within the same party, there are different opinions on policies and various ways of expressing them, so I believe its about communicating and seeking greater understanding.

That was how the Liberal Democratic Partys budgets and policies had been built up until now.

The government office removed it, so everyone got angry, he said.