The reduction in farmland is paving the way for development... "Establishing agricultural land preservation incentives"

Amid the estimation that the domestic cultivated land area has fallen below the 1.5 million hectares that is considered the Maginot Line for food security last year, concerns are rising in the agricultural community over the recent rapid progress of the Special Act on Administrative Integration, which includes numerous "toxic clauses" that could encourage a reduction in the cultivated land area. As all authorities, from the cancellation of agricultural promotion areas to the exemption of agricultural land conservation charges and the establishment of standards for agricultural land conversion permits, are being concentrated in the special metropolitan cities, there is a concern that the control mechanism for agricultural land conservation could be rendered ineffective. ◆Minister's approval disappears, agricultural promotion areas being canceled=The legislative bills proposed by both the ruling and opposition parties both contain provisions to transfer major authorities, such as ...