OTHER NEWS - Nov. 4, 1993

Most Japanese Favor Open Rice Markets: A newspaper poll shows that three out of five Japanese believe the government should open the tightly protected markets to foreign grain. The survey by the daily Asahi Shimbun appeared as Japan’s farm minister held crucial talks in Geneva on demands from its trading partners for Tokyo to admit rice imports. Asahi’s poll of 3,000 adults, conducted in late October, shows 62% support lifting the ban. Japan’s policy of protecting the local rice markets is costly for consumers, who must pay three to five times world prices.