Japan Eyes Checkoff System to Promote Domestic Farm Goods

Tokyo, Oct. 19 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government will study a new system to promote domestic consumption and exports of made-in-Japan farm products by using contributions from farmers, agriculture minister Hiroshi Moriyama has said. "We will consider a system to powerfully advertise to consumers the importance of eating rice and the excellent quality of Japanese beef," Moriyama said in a television show on Sunday. The envisioned system would be similar to the commodity checkoff programs in the United States. Moriyama also expressed hopes to secure budget funds for steps to help farmers cope with the impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal, over which Japan, the United States and 10 other economies have reached a broad accord. In the same TV show, broadcast by Japan Broadcasting Corp., or NHK, Choe Okuno, president of the Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives, or JA Zenchu, said, "We won't demand trillions of yen in budget funds, but we want a long-term agricultural policy." END