Japan Inc. Steps on Lobby Turf as Abe Reforms Farming

Japan’s ruling party wants to increase corporate participation in agriculture to boost the competitiveness of the nation’s farms as pressure increases to cut import tariffs.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party is considering allowing non-food companies to own almost 50 percent stakes in farming entities from the current 25 percent, according to Hiroshi Moriyama, the head of the party’s farm-reform committee. The LDP also wants to streamline approvals of land sales by individuals to farming corporations.