Rice Price Deliberation Council

This was an advisory body established in the Food Agency based on the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Organization Order. As part of the central government reform enacted in July 1999, the Food, Agriculture and Rural Policy Council was established, and the Rice Price Council was abolished in January 2001. The deliberations of the Rice Price Council were taken over by the Staple Food Subcommittee of the Food, Agriculture and Rural Policy Council.

The Rice Price Deliberation Council was established by a Cabinet decision in 1949 (Showa 24) as an advisory body to the Director-General of the Price Agency and the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and its purpose was to respond to inquiries from the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and to investigate and deliberate basic matters concerning the determination of prices of rice and other staple foods, and to make recommendations on necessary matters. It became part of the Food Agency in 1952.

The committee was to consist of no more than 25 members, selected from among those with academic and practical experience, and was to be appointed by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. In reality, however, the committee consisted of representatives of producers, consumers, and academic experts, and there were cases where opinions differed when deciding on producer and consumer rice prices, making it impossible to make a report. The committee members' term of office was one year, and deliberations were not open to the public. With the repeal of the Food Control Law in 1994 and the enactment of the Food Law, the role of the council was greatly diminished.

[Toshiaki Kitade]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

農林水産省組織令に基づいて食糧庁に設置されていた諮問機関。1999年（平成11）7月に成立した中央省庁等改革の一環として、新たに食料・農業・農村政策審議会が設置されるとともに、2001年1月に廃止された。米価審議会の審議は食料・農業・農村審議会の主要食糧分科会に引き継がれた。

　米価審議会は農林水産大臣の諮問に応じ、米価その他の主要食糧の価格決定に関する基本事項の調査審議や必要事項について建議することが目的であった。1949年（昭和24）閣議決定により物価庁長官および農林大臣の諮問機関として発足し、1952年より食糧庁の所属となった。

　委員は25名以内で、学識経験のある者のうちから、農林水産大臣が任命することになっていたが、実際には生産者代表、消費者代表、学識経験者代表によって構成され、生産者米価、消費者米価の決定に際して意見が対立し、答申不可能な事態もみられた。委員の任期は1年で、審議は非公開制であった。1994年に食糧管理法が廃止され、食糧法が施行されたことにより、審議会の役割は大きく後退していた。

［北出俊昭］

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