コメ高騰こうとう対策たいさくで与野党よやとうの農業のうぎょう政策せいさく担当たんとう者しゃらが議論ぎろん【日曜にちよう討論とうろん】

As rice prices remain high, representatives in charge of agricultural policy from each political party appeared on NHKs Sunday Debate program and exchanged opinions on issues such as the governments release of reserve rice and policies to ensure a stable supply of rice.

Liberal Democratic Party member Ichiro Miyashita said, After 18 weeks, rice prices at stores have finally started to come down.

With the governments new reforms on reserve rice, I hope that rice from the fourth auction onward will reach the market more quickly and that prices will stabilize further.

The basic principle is to maintain 100% self-sufficiency in rice, and imports should not be allowed in order to protect Japan itself.

Originally, prices are determined by the market, but considering the abnormal situation where they have doubled in just one year, we should address this issue, including reforms in distribution.

Mr. Ken Noma of the Constitutional Democratic Party said, I believe that rice prices will not easily go down.

The reality is that the continued reduction of rice acreage has made it impossible to produce rice.

First, we need to create a system where farmers can feel secure in their production by providing direct payments to maintain farmland and stabilize their income, and for consumers, we must work to lower the consumption tax on food products so that it does not become a burden.

Mr. Kotaro Ikehata of the Japan Innovation Party said, I dont think the price of rice will suddenly drop.

How we protect farmers and increase productivity so that the people do not go hungry even in unforeseen circumstances is important.

It is often said that Japan has a lot of subsidies, but thats not the case at all. We should firmly work to strengthen the foundation of farmers.

Komeitos Mr. Hideo Kakuta said, The current surge in prices is largely due to the supply and demand being out of balance, and rice not reaching the places where it is actually consumed.

From now on, unless we make agriculture profitable enough for people to earn a stable income, young people won’t enter the industry. So, in addition to protecting farmers, it’s essential to focus on nurturing new ones.

We would also like to request the establishment of subsidies to protect farmland, he said.

Ms. Yasue Funayama of the Democratic Party for the People said, The price is too high.

The government has been saying that the problem lies in distribution bottlenecks, but they must first admit that the supply itself is insufficient.

If the reason is that distributors are taking too much margin, then lowering the margin would also contribute to reducing prices, he said.

Ms. Tomoko Kami of the Communist Party said, The main reason prices remain high is the shortage of supply, and the stable supply and price of rice are responsibilities that the government should take on.

There are also voices saying that the proportion of subsidies in agricultural income should be increased to the same level as in Europe and the United States, and I hope this will be taken seriously.

If the government is advocating for food security, then it should actively increase fiscal spending and purchase rice at a fair price.

Leaving it to the market and consumers, in the end, theyre just forcing it onto the people.

He said, It cannot be resolved without injecting public funds.