「プラ製肥料」、３０年ゼロへ　ＪＡ全農など、海洋汚染対策で方針

　全国農業協同組合連合会（ＪＡ全農）などは２１日、世界的に問題となっている海洋プラスチックごみによる汚染抑止に向け、２０３０年までにプラ製のカプセルで覆った肥料の使用ゼロを目指す方針を公表した。こうした肥料は主に稲作で使用されており、細かなカプセルが田んぼから流出して海洋汚染につながっていると指摘される。関係業界や事業者に広く呼び掛け、削減を推進する。
　全農と全国複合肥料工業会、日本肥料アンモニア協会が取りまとめた。環境団体は昨年の調査で、５ミリ以下のマイクロプラスチックの海洋への流出量は年間約１５７トンと推計。このうち１５％が肥料用カプセルとし、削減が喫緊の課題となっている。（2022/01/21-20:43）

Japan's National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations, or Zen-Noh, and two fertilizer industry groups said Friday they aim to end the use of plastic capsules containing fertilizers by 2030.
   The tiny fertilizer capsules are mainly used to grow rice. An environment group's research last year found that those capsules account for 15 pct of an estimated 157 tons of microplastics of 5 millimeters or less discharged into the ocean each year.
   Many rice farmers are using the encapsulated fertilizers without knowing that the capsules are made of plastic, because they help the users save time to add fertilizers thanks to their features of gradually releasing the manure content into soil and preventing much of the content from leaking into groundwater.
   While setting the zero-use target, Zen-Noh and the two groups will try to inform all users that the capsules are plastic, implement measures to keep the capsules staying in paddies, and develop alternative products.
   The agriculture ministry will support the three parties' efforts by calling on local governments and other industry groups concerned to cooperate, people familiar with the situation said.