Government of Japan is set to target a smaller rice harvest for the upcoming year; however, Japan’s rice production is sufficient to meet the projected demand. As per the sources, Japan’s agriculture ministry expects the rice production to reach 7.11 million tons in 2026, which is 370,000 tons less than the current year. The ministry believes supply of the staple food will meet demand of about 7 million tons, or similar to this year. The government released rice from stockpiles this year to cool off a surge in prices that hit end consumers. But farmers have expressed concern that oversupply could lead to a sharp drop in prices and their income. However, the ministry is yet to finalize the target after a meeting with the experts’ panel.
Japan’s rice crisis came into more headlines when the former Japanese Agriculture Minister Taku Eto had to resign from his post due to a statement he made on rice.