Akira Banzai (center), president of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), and other executives of the JA group meet with farm minister Yoshimasa Hayashi in Tokyo on Monday, July 27
Akira Banzai, president of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), urged farm minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Monday, July 27, to keep the Diet resolution which calls for exemption of key farm products from the negotiations under the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade liberalization initiative.
Ahead of the ministerial meeting scheduled to start in Hawaii on Tuesday, July 28, Banzai demanded that the government negotiate with farmers’ feelings in mind and work on protecting national interests at an important stage of the talks.
Regarding reports that Japan is considering setting a special import quota for U.S. rice, Banzai said farmers are “extremely worried about” the outcome of the negotiations especially on rice.
He told Hayashi that 1,500 people gathered earlier in the day to reaffirm their determination to call on the government to follow the Diet resolution. “We want the government to acknowledge our feelings and negotiate to protect national interests,” he stressed.
Hayashi responded that the government will negotiate tenaciously, while pointing out that negotiations with some member nations are falling behind and it is still unclear whether they will reach a broad agreement.
(July 28, 2015)