AlHijjah 21, 1432, Nov 17, 2011, SPA -- The Japanese government said Thursday it was considering banning shipments of rice from an area near a damaged nuclear power plant, after local samples showed radioactive contamination, dpa reported. "We're considering restricting shipments of rice harvested in the Onami area in the city of Fukushima," Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura told a news conference. Onami is around 60 kilometres from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, which has been leaking radioactive substances since it was hit by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. On Wednesday, local authorities detected levels of radioactive caesium over official limits in rice grown in the area. It was the first time such higher levels of radioactive material were reported in rice since the start of the nuclear crisis. Fujimura said that the contaminated national staple had not been put on the market. "I've heard the problem will not become serious," he said.
