Japan Rice Price to Wholesalers Hits Another High in Feb.

The average sales price of Japan’s 2024 rice crop to wholesalers hit a record high for the sixth straight month in February, the agriculture ministry said Wednesday.

The average price stood at 26,485 yen per 60 kilograms, up 73 pct from a year before and 2 pct from a month before. It is the average of transaction prices between rice wholesalers and buyers dealing with farmers, such as the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations, or Zen-Noh.

Following a serious shortage of the country’s staple food in stores in summer 2024, competition among buyers has intensified.

The ministry has decided to release some of the government stockpiled rice, but it is unclear whether this will be enough to counter soaring prices.

The ministry also released the outcome of a survey on rice acreage in 2025.

This article has been republished from Nippon.com