With the impact of extreme weather and the reduction of planting areas superimposed on each other, there is a serious shortage of rice throughout Japan, triggering a public rush to buy, resulting in a “rice shortage” situation. Several supermarket shelves were emptied, and the e-commerce platform even temporarily suspended sales of popular rice brands. In this regard, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced this week that, is considering taking an “emergency import” policy to ease the supply pressure, to ensure the stability of basic livelihood.
The most serious one since the level of adulthood
According to the Asahi Shimbun reported in June, Japan’s main rice-producing Niigata, Akita, Hokkaido, and other places this year by significantly impacted by climate anomalies, including low temperatures in the spring sowing period, the summer’s persistent high temperatures, and low rainfall, resulting in a general decline in rice production. Data from the Federation of Agricultural Associations (JA) show that national rice production is expected to decline by 12 percent in 2024, the biggest drop in nearly 30 years. “This is the worst rice crop failure since the Heisei era.” The head of the Niigata Prefectural Agricultural Association noted in an interview, “In particular, the sharp decline in production of mainstay varieties such as ‘Koshihikari’ and ‘Yume-no-mikoto’, coupled with the fact that some farmers have switched to soybeans or corn, has further exacerbated the imbalance between supply and demand on the market .”
Supermarkets in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and other cities have seen a noticeable rush for rice recently. Many users on social media posted photos of “empty” shelves and complained about the rapid rise in prices. “I used to buy a 5-kilogram bag of domestic rice for 1,600 yen, but now it’s 2,200 yen for the same type, and it’s still hard to get,” said a housewife in Yokohama. A housewife living in Yokohama said.
Early bidding to cope with the supply gap
In response to the growing rice shortage, the Japanese government has decided to take unprecedented measures. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) announced this week that it will significantly advance the timetable for this year’s import bidding exercise to ease the pressure on market supply and demand as soon as possible. Normally, Japanese rice used for feed and processing raw materials will start international bidding in August each year, while the bidding for main edible rice is usually scheduled in September. However, taking into account this year’s rice crop failure intensified, the public rush to buy frequently, prices continue to climb in this special situation, the Japanese government made an exception to this year’s procurement process ahead of schedule by the end of June to start. This is the first time in recent years so early to start the procurement program, showing the government’s sense of urgency to stabilize the livelihood of the material.
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Sakamoto Shintaro said at a press conference, “We have instructed the relevant departments to immediately communicate with international suppliers to ensure that the first round of import tenders are completed before July to avoid a further decline in domestic stocks.” He also emphasized that the imports will be prioritized for use in areas such as food processing, group meals, and school nutritional feeding to protect basic social needs. The move has gained widespread attention, including from local governments, food companies, and consumer associations. Expert analysis suggests that the early start of the tender not only helps control market sentiment but also helps the government to grasp the initiative of international procurement, reducing the cost of late imports.
Domestic rice “doubled in value” outside the food industry
In the face of declining production and demand rigidity, domestic rice prices continue to rise, which has had a chain of impact on the catering industry and processed food enterprises. Yoshinoya Holdings, Sushi Lang, Matsuya, and other large chains have said that rising rice prices are eroding their profit margins, and they may be forced to raise the price of some of their menus. “The ‘Akita Komachi’ rice we use has increased in price by about 18 percent this year compared with the same period last year, and if the government doesn’t intervene, our cost pressures will be huge.” The head of procurement of a bento chain said. In addition, Japan’s traditional “origin brand rice” is also affected. Yamagata Prefecture’s “Tsukimitsu”, Toyama Prefecture’s “Echu Nishiki” have backlogs of orders, shipping delays, the head of the Agricultural Cooperative Association said frankly: “The market is too tight, we simply can not supply. “
Consumer confidence shaken “imported rice” into a new trend?
It is worth noting that, although Japanese consumers have long favored domestic rice, in the context of soaring prices and short-term supply shortages, some families began to try more affordable imported rice. According to a supermarket in Tokyo, since May, the U.S. California-made rice sales increased by about 30%, and Thailand-made “jasmine rice” has also risen significantly. However, some food safety experts pointed out that imported rice in the taste, viscosity, and preservation of traditional Japanese staple rice still has a gap, and is not suitable as a long-term alternative. “The government should save for a rainy day instead of relying on imports.” A researcher at the Japan Agricultural Economics Research Institute called on the government to revive the policy of partially fallow fields to guarantee long-term food security.
Policy inflection point?
The “rice shortage” not only reveals the risk of climate change on Japanese agriculture but also triggers the discussion of agricultural restructuring. In recent years, with the aging and rural population decline, Japan’s rice paddy cultivation area continues to decline, the lack of young farmers, the degree of mechanization is limited, and other issues seriously constrain the ability of food self-sufficiency. Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) data show that the country’s rice paddy area will be 1.33 million hectares in 2023, a decrease of about 14% from a decade ago. Many local governments are encouraging farmers to convert paddy land to photovoltaic power generation or other crop cultivation, a trend that may exacerbate the structural shortage of staple foods in the long run. In response, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has indicated that it will accelerate its “agricultural regeneration strategy”, including the promotion of intelligent agriculture, encouraging young people to return to their hometowns to work in agriculture, as well as the establishment of a “rice core planting area” to maintain basic production capacity.
A crisis may be an opportunity for reform
The current “rice shortage” in Japan is not only a short-term crisis of crop supply and demand, but also a mirror reflecting the deeper problems of Japanese agriculture. From extreme weather to the reduction of farmland, from consumer price fluctuations to the reshaping of the industrial chain, all warn that Japan can no longer take the sustainability of the agricultural structure lightly. Whether the government can take this crisis as an opportunity to accelerate the reform of agricultural policies and enhance food self-sufficiency and risk resistance will become a key issue of concern in the coming years.
Leave a comment