Japan expected to announce ban on rice sales

PanARMENIAN.Net - Japan is expected to announce its first ban on rice sales in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster after samples showed radioactive contamination well above legal limits, officials said Thursday, November 17, AFP reports.

The findings will further worry nervous consumers, already fretting over the safety of domestic produce, despite its previous solid reputation.

Authorities in Fukushima prefecture say rice produced near the stricken atomic power plant contained caesium they measured at 630 becquerels per kilogram (2.2 pounds). The government safety limit is 500 becquerels.

"We are considering an instruction to restrict shipments of the rice," from this area, Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said. "We would like to reach a conclusion as soon as possible."

If a ban is imposed, it would be the first on rice shipments since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was crippled by a massive quake and tsunami on March 11, spewing radiation into the air, oceans and food chain.

Bans on food following the crisis are nothing new but rice - eaten three times a day in many homes - holds a special place in the Japanese heart.

Japanese-grown grain is widely held to be superior to imports, and is heavily protected by massive tariffs aimed partially at propping up the nation's ageing farmers.

The samples were taken at a farm in Onami, 57 kilometres (35 miles) northwest of the troubled plant.

None of the 840 kilograms of rice produced at the farm this year has been shipped to markets, local officials said.

The final say on the ban is believed to rest with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, who is expected to consult with a number of authorities, including over the issue of compensation for farmers.