Madigan Protests to Japan Over Rice: Japan’s...

Madigan Protests to Japan Over Rice: Japan’s recent refusal to allow a display of American-grown rice at a trade show was a “serious affront” to U.S. producers, Agriculture Secretary Edward Madigan has told Tokyo. The U.S. Rice Council was forced to withdraw its display of American rice at an international food exhibition. Japanese officials said the exhibit violated Japanese food-control law, which bans most commercial imports of rice. Madigan, in a March 21 letter released Monday, told Japan’s minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, Motoji Kondo, that American rice farmers were “dealt a serious affront” by the government’s action. “Many of them drive pickup trucks made by Isuzu and Toyota which were shipped from Japan,” Madigan said. “Now they believe that you refuse to accept their rice in payment for your trucks.”