Japan Voices Worry over Rice Imports in White Paper
Japan warned that rising private-sector rice imports, driven by sharply higher domestic rice prices in 2025, could weaken local rice production. The government admitted delayed release of stockpiled rice and inaccurate demand forecasts worsened shortages, fueling further price increases and market anxiety.
The Japanese government expressed concern about the impact of a sharp increase in private-sector rice imports on domestic rice production in an annual white paper adopted Friday.
The fiscal 2025 white paper on food, agriculture and rural areas noted that private-sector imports surged after retail prices of rice in May 2025 roughly doubled from a year before.
“If this trend continues, demand for domestic staple rice will decrease, which will affect domestic production,” the report warned.
It cited an inaccurate demand forecast by the agriculture ministry as a factor behind the jump in rice prices, finding that the decision to release government-stockpiled rice amid a shortage of the grain was delayed.
“We could not dispel the anxiety among wholesalers and others, which led to further price hikes,” it explained.
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Source : Nippon.com
