Japan 2024 rice production expected to exceed demand, ease shortages

The rice "shortage" is a scam. The government controls supply, artificially keeping prices high via subsidies to farmers to not grow as much as they are able. Good for JA, not so good for anyone else.

For reasons of the rice shortage and high price, the article mentions bad weather, it mentions inflation on utilities, it mentions stockpiling due to megaquake concerns, and it of course mentions foreign tourists...

...but somehow it fails to mention what was announced nearly 2 months ago: "Japan’s rice export volume from January to July hit a record high 24,469 tons, increasing 23% from the same period last year, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry announced Tuesday."

https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/business/economy/20240904-209196/

Wild to think that this time last year Japanese rice was able to be had for as low as 1500 yen (average 1800) for 5kg in the local supermarket. Now it's 3800!! For 5kg! That means the American rice (when you cat get it) can be had for less than half the price., even at 150 to the dollar.

I noticed that when J rice was at 3300yen for 10kg the American rice was left on the shelves, now the American rice is the 1st to sell out. My J family dont want to eat the American rice, so I secretly buy it fill up the rice bin when nobody is looking and say I just bough some J brand, they dont even know the difference LOL. I refuse to pay 6000yen for 10kg of J rice

so no problem until the next panic buying

Its wild that you can get 10kg (yeah 10!) of California Kelrose for 2980 at the local gyomu super (the only place I see around that seems to have it). They get a few bags from to time and they sell out within minutes. (Bet the number is limited on purpose to protect the local product).

Wild to think that this time last year Japanese rice was able to be had for as low as 1500 yen (average 1800) for 5kg in the local supermarket. Now it's 3800!! For 5kg! That means the American rice (when you cat get it) can be had for less than half the price., even at 150 to the dollar.

JA etc need to get their act together and stop this artificial price fixing!

dan

I am eating less rice due to extortionate prices !

> ¥7,200 for 10 kgs of Toyama rice in Aeon the other day.

> Madness .

Last weekend I bought 30 kg of new brown rice for ¥8,500 from a local farmer. Good taste.

This year, at least in some Kanto-country-side, the rice crops are much above the average. I know this because guess what? I went and talked to some producers, right in their nice rice field. The "shortage" was mostly a B-grade media (think influencer level) fed frenzy. Absolutely zero value to it.

There was never a shortage of rice in Japan, there were some actions about keeping it in warehouses or deliberate delays of delivery to push the price up.

The current wholesale price of price is ¥27,000/60 kg.

You can taste the difference between different foods. Not all apples, beef, pork, rice, or anything else tastes the same. You know quality when you taste it. Most imported meat is good but many don't match up to the Japanese ones, but then prices come into play.

...and yes, if you buy directly from producers, you can get a 10kg bag of really good Koshihikari for 3-5000 JPY. Other types are even cheaper.

I dunno, but how is the falling value of the yen affecting local rice prices v Cal. grains. local gasoline costs rise? fertilizer costs rise, distribution costs rise, local labour?? corporate profits to pay divis to security holders.

Let's be brutally honest,white refined rice is overrated,and is possibly linked to stomach cancer.

Wild rice,or brown rice is definitely healthier and more calorific.

A big benefit of global greening.

Refined rice. So true. Terrible for your health, exactly. I'm a hypocrite. But keep to a minimum as all refined carbs.

wtfjapan: "My J family dont want to eat the American rice, so I secretly buy it fill up the rice bin when nobody is looking and say I just bough some J brand, they dont even know the difference LOL. I refuse to pay 6000yen for 10kg of J rice"

That's usually how it goes. Buy a melon from a ¥100 yen shop (just as an example, I know they don't sell them) and tell them it's from Yubari and all you'll hear is, "UMAI!" and praise for Yubari farmers, etc. Give them kanikama and tell them it's Hokkaido crab and same thing. Give them fat injected, cheap beef and tell them it's prime shabu shabu at a downtown Osaka restaurant and they'll sing the praises of J-beef. Heck, 80% of celebs and even chefs who say they KNOW the differences between foreign and domestic food make mistakes between the two on variety shows when given a blind taste test. I agree you should never pay so much for domestic rice when it is just artificially jacked up. We shouldn't be paying the tariffs on imported rice, either.

I am eating less rice due to extortionate prices !

¥7,200 for 10 kgs of Toyama rice in Aeon the other day.

Madness .

Whew, what a relief. Now the foreign tourists can keep eating it all and not have to worry about being blamed for a shortage that never existed in the first place.

@divinda

Exactly, Japan rice export in 2023 already passed 3 times compared to 2017. Still blame to foreign tourist?

Not blaming for Japanese rice trader to export Japanese rice, that more attempting since yen is weakening from time time.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1285110/japan-export-volume-rice/

But the price of rice, a staple food, may remain relatively high, as inflation is expected to keep production costs such as for utilities and fertilizers elevated, observers said.

Don't be happy, all cost also rise, gasoline for farm machinery, fertilizer, labor shortage that will need to increase pay for people who involved in farming. So that rice price hike will stay there.