Officials of agricultural cooperatives in Nagano Prefecture clear away greenhouse pipes bent under the weight of the snow at a farm in Tomi, Nagano.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced Monday, March 3, additional measures to support farms devastated by the heavy snow, such as virtually bearing all the expenses of removing and disposing of destroyed greenhouses.
The amount of assistance for removing and disposing of greenhouses was 30 percent, but local governments and the ministry will each cover 50 percent of the costs for those who intend to continue farming, according to the ministry. The central government will offer special tax grants to local governments to cover 80 percent of their assistance.
The central government’s assistance for repairing greenhouses and greenhouse shelves will be increased from 30 percent of the total costs to 50 percent, it said.
Unit prices of assistance given by the central and local governments differ according to the type of greenhouses. The price per square meter will be JPY1,200 for glass greenhouses, JPY880 for plastic greenhouses with steel frames, JPY290 for plastic greenhouses without steel frames and JPY110 for those who removed destroyed greenhouses by themselves.
Financial assistance will be provided also to dairy farmers who were forced to dump raw milk because the heavy snow hampered shipments.
Agriculture minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said the ministry will do everything it can to help farmers recover their business and to ensure stable food supply. Hayashi asked the ministry’s directors to give full support to farmers who suffered damages from the snow, so that they can continue farming with motivation.
(March 4, 2014)