Table 2-2 Amount of food supply calorie composition ( change in dietary habits)
2-2 Present state of and ideas regarding food reserves
Water is the most necessary thing to maintain human life followed by food and energy. After experiencing 2 oil crises, the Japanese government has maintained a 5- month oil supply reserve in oil reserve bases, equivalent to over a 150-day supply.
However, the controversy in the Heisei era over rice revealed the low standard of the nation's food reserve. There was no food reserve system established. The total of storage and reserve is the stock. Storage is the amount necessary for smooth distribution, or the amount in excess. On the other hand, reserve is a measure to assure stable supply in emergencies, and is part of the government's policy to provide security for its people. It is similar to food insurance for Japanese society. The nation's current food (rice) stock is storage for distribution, and is not a real reserve.
Such a food reserve state was created by past government attitude toward handling of rice surplus, a surplus of agricultural products in developed countries in the 1980s and the 1 0 years of good crops in Japan from 1983. However, before that, there had been occurrences of cool summer damage every 3 or 4 years. The rice stock was only 260, 000tons (two weeks' supply) at the end of 1992 (at the time of the poor crop in 1993, the rice stock was thought to be much greater), and 2. 65 million tons of rice had to be imported. If there had been rice reserve of a minimum of 1.5 million tons, the controversy over rice in 1993 could have been avoided. The most important factors concerning reserves are the volume, method and cost. It will be difficult to successfully realize a reserve plan without examining these factors and encouraging people's understanding of them.
2-3 Reserve techniques and reduction of costs
The volume reserved has to be such so as to avoid a large surplus, or a shortage that would require urgent imports. As a result of simulations conducted in our past research, in which fluctuations of crops in the last 15 years were examined and the reserve level was revised for every 3 years, the appropriate volume is thought to be around 1. 5 million tons. If the volume exceeds 2 million tons, there are more chances of surpluses, and if it is less than 1 million tons, imports will be required every seven years. Therefore, the appropriate reserve volume is thought to be 1.5 million tons.
As for the method and cost, it was found in our past research that grains would last longer if temperature and humidity could be controlled to a certain extent and it would be possible to reduce the cost by utilizing a storage method using natural energy. Ordinary warehouses with conventional temperature management and regular turnover every 2 or 3 years would be very expensive. Reserve costs can be reduced considerably by reducing construction costs as much as possible and by using natural energy for basic use. Reserve cost is affected by the reserve method and technology.
For the establishment of a future reserve system, it is essential to utilize low-temperature storage technology that will lead to cost reductions and to promote further technical development.
3. Reserve technology for long-term storage
3-1 Requirements for long-term rice storage
(1) Quality should be maintained and deterioration of taste
should be prevented.
* Dormancy should be maintained.
* Exhaustion by respiration should be decreased.
* Life phenomena of rice should be maintained.
* Change in components should be controlled as much as possible.
(2) Damage from insects and diseases should be prevented.
3-2 Environmental conditions required for long-term rice storage
"Normal- temperature warehouses" without temperature control and "low- temperature warehouses," in which the temperature is maintained below 1 5 are currently used for rice storage. In both types of warehouses, rice quality deteriorates after approximately one year. Such rice is no longer good to eat and has to be used for processing or feed.
However, as a result of recent research, it is thought that long- term storage without deterioration in quality may be possible under certain storage conditions. The outline of
