The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry plans to increase Japan's food self-sufficiency in terms of caloric intake to 45 percent in fiscal 2010, ministry officials said Thursday.

The ministry will thereafter seek to lift the rate to more than 50 percent, the officials said.

The plan was presented Thursday to a group of advisers to the prime minister on agricultural policies. If approved by the advisers at their next meeting Wednesday, the plan is expected to be formally adopted by the Cabinet and reported to the Diet.

Japan's food self-sufficiency peaked at 73 percent in fiscal 1965 but tumbled to 41 percent in fiscal 1997 -- the lowest rate among industrial nations. Preliminary data show a rate of 40 percent for fiscal 1998.

Experts say that increasing the rate to 45 percent will not be easy and Japanese agriculture will need to become more competitive due to increasing imports as a result of trade liberalization measures.

The ministry plan is a compromise between farmers and politicians, with the former seeking a higher target. Ministry officials expect the food self-sufficiency rate to drop to between 37 percent and 38 percent if nothing is done because of changing eating habits.

Yuuki Takagi, vice agriculture minister, said a self-sufficiency rate of 45 percent is attainable if Japan irons out production and consumption problems.

The self-sufficiency rate is calculated by dividing domestic food supply by overall food demand, both expressed in calories per-person, per-day.