Masashi wrote that on March 25th, the Fukushima prefectural government advised farmers in the prefecture not to start farming activities. This advice applies not just for Iitate, but for all areas in Fukushima. The Prefectural government asked farmers to delay their work and be prepared to change crop varieties to those which can be harvested later in the season. Farmers are asked not to cultivate soils because radioactive materials would disperse further.
Also the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture (MAFF) has given advice on how to deal with the vegetables and milk which have shown elevated radioactive materials. These products should not be incinerated or mixed into the soil. They should be accumulated at one site or left on the field. This means farmers cannot use or plant other crops on their fields.
Currently very little data is available regarding the accumulation of radioactive materials on farmland. Since the government cannot identify the time schedule until the stabilization of the nuclear plant, it is still very difficult to tell how large the contamination of soil will be in Fukushima and its neighbouring areas.
Based on current information provided by the media on the nuclear plant, it appears that it will take time to stabilize the plant completely. The government has already started to discuss how to compensate farmers in the affected regions.
[Announcements by Fukushima prefecture (Japanese only)] http://www.pref.fukushima.jp/keieishien/kenkyuukaihatu/gijyutsufukyuu/seiikugijyutsujyouhou.html
[Japanese Ministry of Agriculture's (MAFF) information related to the earthquake (English)] http://www.maff.go.jp/e/index.html
No comments:
Post a Comment