May 9, 2011

 

Japanese farmers in Fukushima abandon cattle breeding

 

 

Livestock and dairy farmers in areas of Fukushima Prefecture where evacuations are planned have given up hope of continuing to breed cattle, due to the difficulty of finding relocation sites for the animals.

 

All residents in certain areas of the prefecture have been instructed to evacuate by the end of this month because of the accidents at the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant.

 

The central and prefectural governments have provided no information about sites that could accommodate evacuated animals.

 

Making the farmers' situation even more difficult is that they would have to cover the cost of evacuating their cattle.

 

Kiichi Shigihara, a 62-year-old livestock farmer in the Hiso district of Iitatemura, Fukushima Prefecture, has 45 cattle. "My life's plan has been turned upside down," he said on Tuesday (May 3). "I'm planning to sell my cattle, but prices have fallen and I'll wind up with nothing but debt," he said.

 

When the first accident occurred at the nuclear plant, Shigihara was building a new livestock barn, after buying new cattle with more than JPY10 million (US$124,000) borrowed from an agricultural co-op and other institutions.

 

On April 26, four days after being informed that his farm was in a planned evacuation area, Shigihara and four other livestock farmers visited six vacant farms in the prefecture, hoping to find a relocation site for their animals. None were suitable.

 

According to the Fukushima prefectural government, there are 410 livestock or dairy-farming households in planned evacuation areas. They are located in five municipalities, including Iitatemura, which is famous for Iitate-gyu beef.

 

The farmers affected keep nearly 10,000 cattle in total. Only a small number of those animals have been evacuated, and many of the farmers have abandoned hope of continuing to earn their living by raising livestock.

 

All 11 dairy farmers in Iitatemura have decided to suspend their businesses. A public corporation that promotes the village plans to sell all of its Iitate-gyu cattle, which number about 260.

 

Yasuo Tsuboi, a 52-year-old farmer with 18 cattle in Katsuraomura in the prefecture, expressed doubt about whether he could afford the expense of evacuation. Tokyo Electric Power Co. has said it will give each household in the planned evacuation areas interim compensation of JPY1 million (US$12,000).

 

But Tsuboi said: "I need to move lots of stuff besides cattle, such as my tractor and a machine to mow pastures. To move anywhere would cost at least JPY2 million (US$25,000)."

 

Some of the farmers are seeking financial aid from public funds. But an official of the Livestock Production and Feed Division of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said: "The situation exists because of the nuclear power plant. So in principle, shouldering the evacuation costs should be up to TEPCO."