The agriculture industry is in the spotlight as a result of the government's interest in a U.S.-backed trans-Pacific free-trade agreement that could scrap high tariffs on heavily protected products such as rice.
While Pacific Rim countries deliberate a regionwide free-trade area in the ongoing Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meetings in Yokohama, the government has deferred until June a decision on whether to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiations because of strong opposition from the agricultural sector and lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition camps who fear losing farmers' votes.
Many farmers fear that produce from overseas could flood the domestic market and destroy their industry, especially rice production. But analysts and even some rice growers say such concerns are exaggerated and view joining the TPP as a chance to reform domestic agriculture and promote farm exports.