TOKYO —

Japan plans to host a meeting of farm ministers from the Group of Eight industrial nations by the end of the year to discuss steps to assuage the run-up in global food prices, the nation’s vice farm minister said Thursday. ‘‘We would like to exchange views so the countries may firmly position food security as their policy,’’ Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Toshiro Shirasu told reporters.

Japan will start talks with its G-8 peers so the meeting may be held in October or November, he said. The farm ministers are expected to discuss what criteria should be devised and observed to keep production of bio-fuels from limiting the supply of food. They will also likely discuss setting up a multilateral system for stockpiling foods. In July, leaders of the G-8 countries agreed to arrange a meeting of their farm ministers when they gathered for a summit in Hokkaido.

Kyodo

1 Comments

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  LIBERTAS at 06:56 AM JST - 22nd August

  Oh Great! Lock the country down again! I.D. all rice-planting terrorists!

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