In Brief : Most Japanese Calories Imported
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TOKYO — Last year, imported food accounted for the first time for more than half the calories consumed by Japanese people, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry says in an annual report.
The United States and other trading partners have pressured Japan to open its market wider to agricultural imports, particularly rice. Japan has maintained a policy of self-sufficiency in that grain, which it says is necessary for national security as a basic foodstuff.
Today’s report says Japan’s food self-sufficiency rate dropped 2 percentage points to 49% on a calorie basis during the fiscal year that ended in March, Japanese newspapers said today.
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