Japanese rice first detected radiation exceeding safety standards

The Japanese government banned exports of rice from an area near the nuclear plant in Fukushima, radiation has been pouring since it was damaged by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11.

For the first time since the disaster, rice was found radiation levels exceeding the Japanese standards of safety.

In the affected area, about 60 kilometers from the nuclear plant, there are 154 rice farmers, who produce annually about 192 tons of product.

The ban on shipments comes after it was discovered that a harvested crop by a farmer in the area contained 630 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram, compared with the limit of 500 becquerels imposed by the government.

"The rice in question was found before it was sent. There is in circulation a single grain of the plot," said Osamu Fujimura chief of staff at a news conference.

Japan's rice harvest in autumn was put under the magnifying glass near the plant, after the areain excessive levels of radiation found in beef, vegetables and seafood.

The manager of the plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co, which works with the government hopes to stabilize the reactors at the Fukushima central end of the year.