May 26, 2010

Japanese Communist Party Lower House member Akamine Seiken on May 25 called on Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio to take measures to prevent the further expansion of foot-and-mouth disease involving cows and pigs as well as provide financial assistance to help farmers restore losses in income.

Akamine said at a House of Representatives plenary session, “The government’s inadequate response in dealing with the outbreak of the infectious disease has allowed it to spread rapidly. It must provide adequate funding and take appropriate legislative actions to contain the disease and support farmers in restoring their businesses.”

Reporting on an on-site investigation he conducted the day before in Miyazaki Prefecture, Akamine revealed that out of about 150,000 animals designated to be slaughtered, 67,769 are still left untouched, including livestock that were confirmed on May 7 to be infected with foot-and-mouth disease.

He urged the government to take the responsibility to secure land for burying slaughtered livestock, condemning it for just leaving the task to affected farmers and municipalities.

The JCP representative also pointed out that farmers will experience at least three years without earnings to raise cattle and restore their businesses. He demanded that the government impose a special measures law to directly provide financial assistance for farmers affected by the foot-and-mouth outbreak.
- Akahata, May 26, 2010