Tokyo - Japanese farmers expressed concern as the government is poised to accept a compromise proposed at World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations that require developed nations to cut tariffs on key farm products, media reports said Monday.

"I'm worried what will become of Japanese agriculture if cheap imported farm products are coming," an official of the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives was quoted as saying by the Kyodo News agency.

Lowering tariffs would be "a matter of life or death" for some farmers in Japan, a farmer in Okinawa prefecture told the agency.

Under a revised text for farm negotiations released by WTO Director General Pascal Lamy Friday, a developed country can increase its sensitive products, which may be exempted from tariff reductions, to 6 per cent if it expands its amount of low-tariff imports.

Japan had wanted at least 8 per cent of all its farm products to be exempted from tariff cuts. However, Japan's farm minister, in Geneva for the WTO trade talks, told Japanese media late Sunday that he no longer would be able to secure that goal.

Of the total 1,332 items listed as farm products, Japan currently imposes levies of more than 200 per cent on 101 items designated as important products to protect them from cheap imports, including rice, wheat, sugar, pork and peanuts.

Japan would only be able to secure about 80 items as sensitive products if 6 per cent are exempted. (dpa)