[Title] Press Conference by Prime Minister ISHIBA Shigeru Regarding the Appointment of a New Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Other Matters

[Opening Statement by Prime Minister Ishiba]

I have appointed Mr. KOIZUMI Shinjiro, a member of the House of Representatives, to the position of Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, succeeding former Agriculture Minister ETO Taku. In consideration of the current situation, in which rice prices have remained elevated, I instructed Mr. Koizumi to press forward vigorously with initiatives and consider selling stockpiled rice through the use of negotiated contracts, giving particular attention to enabling us to supply rice to consumers at stable prices. The unrelenting high price of rice is just one of a sizable number of challenges facing the administration of our agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. I would like Mr. Koizumi to make all-out efforts to resolve these issues, leveraging both his strong leadership and the experience he has gained over the years. I will end my opening remarks here.

(On the reason Prime Minister Ishiba tapped Mr. Koizumi Shinjiro as agriculture minister, and which of Mr. Koizumi's experiences led Mr. Ishiba to make this appointment)

Mr. Koizumi has served as the Director of the LDP Agriculture and Forestry Division. Also, in the area of fisheries, he is the current Chairperson of the party Research Commission on Fishery Policies. When I held that same position, Mr. Koizumi served as the Chair of the party committee on maritime industries. With regard to both the agriculture and the fisheries industries, I consider Mr. Koizumi to be the person who offers experience, insight, and passion for reform.

(On how the selection of Mr. Koizumi will improve upon the current situation, in which trust in agricultural policy may have been damaged as a result of remarks made by the previous agriculture minister)

As I stated just now, the question is how we can resolve the problem of rice prices remaining high as we also tackle the matter of how to foster an environment in which producers can enjoy peace of mind as they engage in agriculture. We must achieve both of these goals without regarding them as mutually exclusive.

We are also experiencing a profound decline in the number of workers in the fisheries industry, resulting in both the volume and the value of Japan's catches shrinking dramatically, even as worldwide demand increases. And, as for our forestry industry, we are not seeing much progress in the use of domestically sourced lumber. In this way, we now face a plethora of challenges in our agriculture, fisheries, and forestry industries. I am confident that as we formulate responses to each of these issues, one after the other, and restore consumers' trust, we will succeed in sweeping away the distrust the public harbors against our administration of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries matters.

(On whether or not Prime Minister Ishiba will undertake another change in policy, in light of rice prices failing to drop at present, despite the release of stockpiled rice into the market)

The key here is why this situation has come about. Rice prices have been rising and then remaining high for quite some time already. The question of why rice prices have risen has been the topic of considerable discussion ever since prices first started climbing. Now, as we consider rice prices failing to fall even with stockpiled rice being released into the market, we need to conduct a careful assessment of why that happened, contrary to expectations. It could be something structural at play.

Finding the answer to this conundrum will not be such an easy task. But I consider it critically important to improve, as an urgent matter, the exasperating situation consumers find themselves in, balanced with a simultaneous reworking of our rice policies.