The Japan Agricultural News conducted an opinion poll among eligible voters, who are mostly farmers registered as agricultural policy monitors of the News throughout the country, on June 20 before the July 10 House of Councilors election is announced on June 22.
According to the survey, 41 percent of the respondents replied to a question on their proportional representative vote by saying they will vote for candidates of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) at the coming election, building up a lead on opposite parties with 17 percent for the Democratic Party (DP) and 9 percent for the Japanese Communist Party.
Although a number of respondents farming at rural communities are dissatisfied with LDP’s reform-oriented farm policy, they have not seen a viable alternative in the opposition camp, since the opposite parties do not yet fully prepare for receiving votes against the ruling bloc.
Meanwhile, more than 20 percent of the poll’s respondents are still unsure how they will vote. It is rather uncertain how the voting will turn out.
The list of questions of the latest survey included one regarding how the agricultural policy of the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Administration has been evaluated.
As many as 66 percent of the respondents applied “they do not evaluate Abe’s farm policy” including “not at all” and “rather not,” while only 25 percent answered “much evaluate” or “rather evaluate.”
The approval rating for the Abe’s Cabinet was 38 percent, 5 point up over the previous poll conducted this March. On the other hand, the disapproval rating declined to 59 percent, 6 point less than the previous survey.
The 1,200 monitors of the Japan Agricultural News were surveyed in this poll and 733 monitors responded by June 20.