JAPAN SAYS OECD STUDY ON SUBSIDIES STILL ONGOING

  Japanese Agriculture Ministry officials
  said a study of agriculture subsidies by the Organisation for
  Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD, is still under way
  and will be completed sometime next month.
      The officials said the study has been inaccurate so far,
  and they said Japan would comment on the final results.
      A Reuter report from Washington yesterday said the study
  has found that Japan has the highest agriculture subsidies in
  the world and that dairy farmers benefit more than any other
  commodity producers from subsidies. The study has not been
  officially released due to objections from some countries.
      Japan has withdrawn its objection and decided to accept the
  release of the study, the agriculture ministry officials said.
  OECD directors are expected to approve the release at a meeting
  in mid-May.
      One agriculture ministry source said the study so far was
  based on the years 1979-81. Japanese subsidies have dropped
  sharply since then, partly because of tight budgetary policy,
  and foreign currency factors have also changed, he said.
      "The study is ... Unfair and unacceptable because it does
  not take account of various differences in farming conditions
  in each country, such as geography," the source said.
      He said it is highly likely that the final study will show
  Japan has the highest farm subsidies in the world.
      "This would increase foreign pressure to open Japan's farm
  market further, but this would have little impact on Japan's
  agriculture policy," he said, without giving further details.
      A main purpose of the study is to clarify export subsidies
  by major exporting nations like the United States and the
  European Community, but Japan is a major importer, he said.
  

