(Nikkei: August 12, 2015 – p. 5)

The Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (JA Zenchu) held an ad hoc general meeting on Aug. 11 where Choe Okuno, head of JA Mie, was elected as its new chairman.

Okuno demanded “adherence to the Diet resolution (on protecting rice and four other sensitive product sectors)” in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations in a news conference held after his inauguration. He indicated concern about media reports that Japan is creating an import quota of 70,000 tons for U.S. rice, stating, “Everybody thinks this seems to deviate (from the Diet resolution).”

Okuno said in his news conference that “whether the balance of supply and demand in the country will be affected needs to be examined” with regard to the rice import quota. He also said, “Livestock and dairy farmers are pessimistic. Some of them will give up farming.” (Abridged)