As the Lower House agriculture committee began deliberating a bill submitted by the government to revise the Agricultural Co-operative Society Law on Thursday, May 21, farm minister Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed reluctance to stating in the new law that agricultural co-ops are the main entity in local economies.
His remark is likely to draw controversy, as it contradicts with the government’s previous stance which recognized the significance of farm co-ops in regional economy.
The government said in its basic view on agricultural co-ops released in 2010 that the co-ops play an influential role in reinvigorating local economies and should be positioned as the major player in the regions. The view, shared by the Japanese agricultural co-ops group, is not included in the bill.
At the committee session, an official of the Cabinet Office responded that the government’s view “has not changed.” However, in response to a question by Democratic Party of Japan member Nobuhiro Koyama representing the Tokai region, Hayashi stressed that agricultural co-ops are organizations primarily for farmers. “It is true that agricultural co-ops provide infrastructure for local communities, but that doesn’t mean they can be regarded as the main entity of the local economy,” Hayashi said, indicating the government has no intention to specify farm co-ops’ position in local economies in the new law.
Meanwhile, the bill states that more than half of primary JAs’ directors be certified farmers and professionals of farm product sales and marketing, but allows exceptions for JAs in regions with few such people. Responding to a question concerning the issue by Komeito member Hisashi Inatsu representing Hokkaido, Hayashi emphasized that the new law will acknowledge different regional circumstances. Agriculture vice minister Akio Koizumi said that in such cases, other people such as former certified farmers and executives of community farms can become directors of primary JAs.
The bill is designated as high priority, which customarily requires more than 20 hours of deliberation in the committee, hearings of experts and regional public hearings.
(May 22, 2015)