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Race to secure 2025 rice crop heats up, lifting prices

With early shipments of rice from the 2025 harvest having reached the market, attention is turning to supply, demand and prices amid uncertainty over how this summer’s extreme heat, water shortages and heavy rain will affect yields. Competition to secure new-crop rice is intensifying, pushing up the provisional payments that agricultural cooperatives advance to growers […]

2025 Japan Rice Harvest Seen Rising to 7.48 M. Tons

Tokyo, Oct. 10 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s 2025 staple rice harvest is forecast to reach a nine-year high of 7,477,000 tons, up 10 pct from the previous year, the agriculture ministry said Friday. The harvest amount is, thus, expected to exceed 7 million tons for the first time since 2022, the ministry added. This year’s crop estimate […]

Japanese Consumers Hesitate to Buy New Rice Amid Soaring Prices

Price a Priority A survey, conducted in September by the recipe-sharing website Cookpad, asked 1,037 site users about their attitudes toward shinmai (newly harvested rice). In total, 88.9% in total stated they “want to buy shinmai,” but price proved to be an obstacle. More than 70% of respondents cited “price” as a priority when buying […]

Rice grown in dry fields harvested in 1st year of test cultivation in Japan’s Niigata

NIIGATA — Rice grown in dry fields in the first year of trial cultivation has been harvested here recently to the joy of the people involved in the project. The “water-saving dry direct seeding” method, which involves sowing rice seeds directly into dry fields without flooding them, has shown promising results in the central Japan […]

Japan rice prices turn higher despite arrival of new crop

Japanese retail prices of rice have turned upward again, even as new rice harvested this year has started hitting the shelves. The average price at supermarkets across Japan stood at ¥4,275 per 5 kilograms, up for three consecutive weeks, according to data released by the agriculture ministry last week. Retailers are worried that their profits […]

Rice prices in Japan go up again, effects of releasing government-stockpiled rice wanes after 3 months

Although production is expected to exceed demand, intense competition among dealers, to acquire rice means prices will likely remain high. The Yomiuri Shimbun – The Japan News TOKYO – The retail price of rice is increasing once again, nearing the record high. Though rice prices temporarily dropped to the ¥3,500 range per 5-kilogram bag, the […]

Rice demand for year through June estimated to be up to 7.1 million tons

Demand for staple rice in Japan is likely to total between 6.97 million and 7.11 million tons in the year through June 2026, down slightly or unchanged from the previous year’s real demand, the agriculture ministry said Friday. The ministry’s food council subgroup came up with the key one-year estimate about two months later than […]

Japan’s 1-Yr Rice Demand through Next June Estimated at Max 7.1 M. Tons

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Demand for staple rice in Japan is likely to total 6.97 million to 7.11 million tons in the year through June 2026, down slightly or unchanged from the previous year’s real demand, the agriculture ministry said Friday. The ministry’s food council subgroup came up with the key one-year estimate about two […]

Japan starts early release of tax-free rice imports to cool prices

Japan’s government is releasing tax-free imported rice into the market earlier than usual this year. The move is part of efforts to cap prices of the grain, which remain at unusually high levels. The government is obliged to import about 770,000 tons of rice duty-free each year under a system called “minimum access.” Of the […]