Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Japan)
The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (农林水产省, Norin - Suisan - shō, English Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, in short: MAFF) is a ministry with cabinet rank. It regulates agriculture, forestry, livestock and fisheries and is also responsible for food safety and consumer protection as well as for land reclamation projects.
MAFF is divided internally in the Secretariat of the Minister and five non-fiction department. In addition, the Forest Service (林野 庁, Rin'ya -chō ) and the Fisheries Board (水产 庁, Suisan -chō ) are assigned to it. In fiscal year 2006, the MAFF possessed with its regional offices and associated authorities more than a regular budget of 2.8 trillion yen (about 16.8 billion euros, as of 2006).
The Ministry was established in 1881 as the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce (农 商务 省, Nōshōmu - shō ). In 1925 it was renamed the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry ' (农林 省, Norin - shō ) and outsourced the responsibility for trading in its own ministry. In 1978, finally got its present name.