information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
23 Avril 2012
April 2013
Only a third of disaster-ruined farmland restored
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120423_15.html
Japan's agriculture ministry says only a third of farmland damaged by last year's tsunami is ready for use again.
More than 24,000 hectares of farmland in 12 prefectures were damaged by salt from the tsunami, and suffered cracks and liquefactions from the earthquake.
The agriculture ministry says just over 8,000 hectares, or about 33 percent, had been cleared for cultivation.
In Fukushima, only 9 percent of damaged farmland has been restored, due to the effects of the nuclear disaster.
The ministry says the removal of salt and sludge in some areas is taking time, while in others no decision has been made on whether to repair farms at all.
The ministry hopes to restore 90 percent of all affected farmland by the spring of 2014.