61470    The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is hammering out a deep cutback measure for the Food Agency.

61471    According to the plan, the Ministry will eliminate 11 locations out of the existing local Food Agency Offices, one each in the 47 prefectures and metropolitan governments and 160 locations out of the current 361 branch offices of the Local Food Agency, downsizing by several thousand over the next five years.

61472    This measure is attached to the abolishment of the Food Control Law this fall.

61473    Under the Food Control Law, rice is supposedly under the "total control" of the government.

61474    The Food Agency' business is the control of rice and it has been performing duties such as rice inspections, instructing and monitoring distributors, and other related tasks.

61475    Under the new Food Law, as rice will be transferred to "partial control" by the government and "distribution by the private sector," to refer to them in keywords, streamlining the system makes sense.

61476    Specifically, while the growers were required to sell the rice to the government and the government was required to purchase it in the past, these obligations will be eliminated.

61477    Under the new system, as long as growers report the quantity, they can sell rice to anybody with no restrictions without going through the government.

61478    In other words, free market rice, as it has been called, is getting the nod of official approval.

61479    In the meantime, the main role of the government concerning the management of rice will be to secure a supply.

61480    As the standard rice reserves including the minimum import access are set at about 1.5 million tons, the quantity of domestic rice that the government will purchase is expected to be up to just over 1 million tons.

61481    Considering that the quantity of rice the government purchased topped 3 to 4 million tons until several years ago, the Food Agency's role will be significantly reduced.

61482    Also, distributors used to be under a license system, but that will change to a registration system.

61483    The amount of paperwork and guidance or monitoring in this respect will also be reduced.

61484    In light of the foregoing institutional reform, a considerable downscaling of the organization is inevitable and, if anything, it may be necessary to question whether the cutback to this extent is really sufficient.