News Farmers rally in downtown Tokyo, calling for income stability

In a rare show of public protest, some 3,200 rice growers and dairy farmers, some arriving on tractors, demonstrated in downtown Tokyo on 30 March, urging the government to implement measures ensuring income stability in the agricultural sector. The farmers voiced concerns over the difficulty of sustaining their livelihoods despite rice prices reaching record highs. They called for income support comparable to the United States and European levels.

The protest started at around 2:30 p.m., when about 30 tractors left Aoyama Park in Tokyo's Minato Ward following the blowing of a conch shell. After that, participants started to walk from Aoyama Park, shouting, "Protect farmers" and "Compensation for farmers." They marched through the Omotesando and Harajuku districts and ended up at Yoyogi Park in Shibuya Ward. The president of the committee that organized the protest is Yoshihide Kanno, a 75-year-old farmer who lives in Yamagata Prefecture.

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The Agriculture Ministry reported that in 1960, approximately 11.75 million people relied on farming for their livelihoods. However, by 2020, the number of farmers had declined to around 1.36 million, with an average age of 67.8 years. On Sunday, farmers staged demonstrations in over 10 locations across Japan, including Shizuoka and Oita prefectures. "Atop soaring material costs, we also struggle with the lack of successors. I want consumers to be aware of this reality," said Makoto Adachi, a 56-year-old fruit grower, during the protest in Oita Prefecture.

JA is making all the freaking money off these poor souls. They need to speak up. Price controls are BS these days for the farmers.