Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0151, 1946-01-11.

Summary:

It is obvious from the graph found at the end of this article that rice deliveries have risen Sharply since November. Except for the KYUSHU District which suffered severe natural calamities, rice delivery conditions have become better and better in every prefecture. The assignment to prefectures and accordingly to individual farmers, of a rice shipping quota by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry was about one month later than usual. This occasioned delay in shipping by farmers. What is worse, there had been opposition among the peasantry against forced shipping during the war. The persistance of this reaction must be accounted a great reason for delayed rice shipments in this rice year.

It is now the best season for rice shipments and necessary steps are being taken. Rice shipping has improved with the passage of time. A considerable number of prefectures are expected to deliver 80% of their assigned quotas by the end of January. People have, therefore, begun to feel some relief. The recent Allied purge directive will remove almost all prefectural governors. Since they are in charge of rice shipments at present, rice snipping conditions will become considerably agitated. How will this affect the upward trend in deliveries?

Some candidates running for the Lower House or former representatives utter such irresponsible words to charm farmers as, "You need not ship rice to the Government". They regard "rice shipping" as an issue in the forth coming election compaign. They must be blamed. This unrest in the political world has a great bearing on rice shipments. Rice shipping difficulties will be solved if the Government is sincerely working for the national interest.

Prefectures which had already shipped over 40% of the assigned quota by the end of the year were: G[illegible]a Ken (67%); ISHIKAWA Ken (50%); NIIGATA Ken (54%); FUKUSHIMA Ken (49%); HYOGO Ken (47%); TOKYO To (45%); TOYAMA Ken (42%); and YAMAOTATA Ken(4l%).

Prefectures from which less than ten % of assigned quota have been shipped were: OKAYAMA Ken (9%); NARA Ken (9%); HIROSHIMA Ken (8%); TOKUSHIMA Ken (7%); KUGAWA Ken (6%); KOKKAIDO (5%); YAMANASHI Ken (5%); KOCHI Ken (3%); IBARAKI Ken (3%); and KYUSHU (TN-No percent given).

CHIBA Ken and IBARAKI Ken, though rice production centers, have shipped the smallest percentage of assigned quotas.

(Graph on next page)

ECONOMIC SERIES: 151 (Continued)

ITEM 1 (Continued)

GRAPH OF RICE DELIVERIES OCT to DEC. 1945

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DISTRIBUTION: "X"

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