Kagoshima Depot

Kyushu is often referred to as the Samura “company” planet within Kusari, as so many of its inhabitants depend on Samura’s continued largess. As part of an effort to stimulate rice production on Kyushu, Samura gradually organized the Kyushu farmers into cooperatives that would buy Fertilizer and customized seeds from their laboratories in New Tokyo. Consumers paid exorbitant amounts for the rice produced, which everyone swore was much higher quality than that produced in any other part of Kusari, and thus worth the premium price it fetched in Samura’s Tokyo supermarkets.

With the eventual introduction of Trade Lanes, Kusari farmers were opened to competition with the rest of the Sirius Sector. They lobbied the government heavily, financed with Samura money, which had the most to lose from cheaper foreign competitors. The government acquiesced for several centuries, leading to astronomical Kusari Food prices. Eventually, under pressure from the Liberty government, Kusari reopened the agricultural imports market, despite intense lobbying by Samura.

Synth Foods moved in and became an overnight success, opening franchises in the urban areas of Honshu and New Tokyo. Demand for expensive Kyushu Food dropped, and many independent farmers were forced out of business. Feeling betrayed, some of the farmers proceeded to organize the Farmers Alliance, a militant group that lobbies for "farmers' rights" -- which include such things as government subsidies and restrictions on the sale of foreign foods in Kusari. In fact, the Farmers Alliance generally is opposed to foreign influence of any kind, particularly the Trade Lanes that have so damaged their livelihoods.

The general population ignores the Farmers Alliance for the most part, though they do have some support among older Kusari citizens. In reality The Farmers Alliance is little more than a puppet of Samura, who wishes to return to its Food and trade monopoly days. Samura uses them for much of its dirty work, attacking foreign shippers, Synth Foods, and even Kishiro on occasion. The Farmers Alliance likes the Hogosha, as they represent the traditional “criminals” of Kusari that fit in with society. They abhor the Golden Chrysanthemums and their disgusting drug habit. The Blood Dragons are also viewed with suspicion, since whatever Samura says is the truth.