After the deadly nuclear disaster in March 2011 in Fukushima, Japan, the rice produce of the region was hit due to harmful radiations and was constantly rejected in the market due to radiation fear. But officials on January 5, 2015 revealed that the Fukushima rice has now passed the radiation checks for the first time after the disaster in 2011.
Tsuneaki Onami, an official from Fukushima said that about 360,000 tons of rice has been checked and none of the produce has tested above 100 becquerels per kg limit which is set by the government. Most of the produce tested was of the harvest from 2014.
Onami said, “The fact that the amount of rice that does not pass our checks has steadily reduced in the last three years indicates that we’re taking the right steps”. Reports say that a small amount of the rice produce from 2012 and 2013 had failed to pass the radiation checks and were destroyed due to fear of radiation.
The 2011 nuclear disaster had hit the farmers and fishermen in Fukushima as it resulted in the meltdown of the Tokyo Electric Power Co’s nuclear plant. The situation had also forced several farmers to suspend the fisheries and agricultural exports. Since then Japan had also lifted the restrictions levied on the exports but still constant leakage of contaminated water forced South Korea to ban imports from several regions of Japan.
Photo Credits: cloudfront
