Top Rice News: Japan Rice Imports, Cambodia Rice Exports And NK Rice Prices

Top Rice News today covers Japan witnessing a 95-fold surge in private rice imports amid rising prices, Cambodia exports over 630,000 tonnes of milled rice worth $367 million in H1 2025, and North Korea records a sharp decline in rice prices following improved seasonal supply.

How Japan’s Rice Price Surge Triggers 95-Fold Jump in Private Imports?

A Japanese government white paper on food and agriculture discovered that rice imports by private companies in Japan increased to 96,834 tons in 2025, nearly 95 times the 1,015 tons in 2024, due to rising prices for the staple grain. Notably, there are two types of rice imports in Japan: a government-managed tariff-free minimum access quota (approximately 770,000 tons per year) and imports carried out by private companies. Private imports are subject to a tariff of ¥341 per kilogram. Before 2025, these rice imports generally stayed in the range of 600 to 1,000 tons per year. Moreover, concerns were expressed in the white paper about the sharp rise in private imports and the potential impact on demand and production of domestic rice. In addition, the white paper focused on the rice shortages that occurred from summer 2024 onward, which examines the factors and circumstances behind the price surge and the government’s response. Among these, a warning of a possible major Nankai Trough earthquake in August 2024 prompted several people to add rice to their household stockpiles. In May 2025, the retail price for a 5-kilogram bag of rice was ¥4,260, or nearly double the price of ¥2,127 in the same period the earlier year. Following that, prices remained at that higher plateau, coming in at just under ¥4,000 in May 2026.

Cambodia Exports 630,000 Tonnes of Milled Rice Worth $367 Million in H1 2025

According to the Cambodia Rice Federation, of the total, Europe (32 countries) accounted for the largest value of exports at $121.7 million for 179,828 metric tonnes of rice, whereas China and its autonomous regions purchased 170,483 metric tonnes of rice ($99.7 million). ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) imported the largest share of rice at 228,780 metric tonnes; however, at a comparatively lower rate of $98.9 million in the period. Twenty-four countries in Africa, the Middle East, and other parts of the world bought 51,228 tonnes of rice worth $46.8 million. Moreover, Fragrant rice remains one of the largest exported rice varieties, accounting for 59.8 per cent, followed by white rice (22.6 per cent), broken rice (14.4 per cent), parboiled rice (1.8 percent), and organic rice (1.2 percent). Furthermore, CRF stated that apart from milled rice, 2.8 million tonnes of paddy rice valued at $597.8 million were sold on the border, adding to the domestic economy.

North Korea Rice Prices Fall as Summer Harvest Boosts Supply

It has been found that rice prices in the North Korean market dropped by nearly 20% July 2026 as seasonal supplies of alternative grains and a possible rise in imported food pushed costs down in the country. Rice sold for 31,200 won per kilogram at a market in Pyongyang as of July 5, 18.3 % fall from the previous survey on June 21, as per the regular survey of North Korean market prices. A similar trend appeared in Sinuiju, North Pyongan province, and Hysean, Ryanggand Province. Rice prices at markets in the two cities came to 31,000 won and 31, 300 won per kilogram on July 5, down 18.6% and 18.5 % respectively, from the two weeks earlier, marling the sharpest decline in North Korean rice prices so far in 2026. Prices had earlier stayed elevated due to reduced food supply, increasing exchange rates and public anxiety over food availability. Moreover, Corn prices posted their steepest drop of the year. Corn sold for 11,000 won per kilogram at a Pyongyang market as of July 5, down 16.7 % from two weeks earlier. Corn prices in Sinuiju and Hysean dropped by about 15% over the same period.