10/04 Soil cesium limit set for rice / Some farmers won't be allowed to plant this season, possibly longer

The Yomiuri Shimbun

The crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant has spurred the government to restrict rice planting in soil with more than 5,000 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium, the first time maximum radiation levels have been set for soil.

Radioactive cesium levels exceeding 5,000 becquerels per kilogram have been detected in farmland close to the nuclear plant and farmers in these areas will likely be barred from growing rice this season, government sources said.

The Fukushima prefectural government announced Wednesday that rice paddies in Iitatemura have shown as much as 15,031 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium. Part of Iitatemura is within 20 kilometers to 30 kilometers of the plant, where residents have been instructed to stay indoors.

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said it plans to decide on the rice planting restrictions after conducting soil inspections and consulting with the prefecture. According to the ministry, rice production in Fukushima is fourth in the nation at about 450,000 tons.

Since the maximum permissible level is not legally binding, the government will likely use the nuclear disaster special measures law to enforce the planting restrictions. The ministry and other organizations have been conducting soil surveys at about 200 locations in the Tohoku and Kanto regions.

The ministry set maximum permissible levels only on rice to beat the start of the planting season, since imposing restrictions after harvest would cause considerable hardship and confusion for farmers, as rice takes longer to grow than most vegetables.

The maximum level was based on studies that have shown brown rice absorbs one-tenth of the radioactive cesium in soil. Since the provisional guideline for radiation in rice is 500 becquerels per kilogram under the Food Sanitation Law, the government decided on a limit of 5,000 becquerels per kilogram.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Michihiko Kano said at a press conference Friday evening that the government will compensate affected rice farmers. The areas to be prohibited from growing rice this year will be finalized as early as this week.

The government's action this year is an emergency measure, but since the half-life of radioactive cesium is about 30 years, it is possible that planting will be restricted in subsequent years.

Solving long-term issues involving compensation and soil improvement will likely occupy the government for a long time to come, observers said.

(Apr. 10, 2011)