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Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo, July 27 (Reporter Zhong Ya) For some time, the price of rice in Japan has continued to rise. The price of rice sold in supermarkets has increased by about 20% compared with the beginning of the year. The average wholesale price of brown rice in June hit a new high in about 11 years. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun said that the current rise in rice prices is rare.

People can't bear it

According to the reporter's observation, since the beginning of this year, the price of rice sold in Japanese supermarkets has increased by about 20%, and some high-quality rice has even increased by nearly two times. One type of rice was sold for about 15,000 yen (about 703.5 yuan) per 60 kilograms in the fall of last year, and reached 29,000 yen (about 1,367.9 yuan) in May this year. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, the average wholesale price of brown rice in June rose by 14% compared with the same period last year, setting a record high since August 2013.

Chiba resident Minami Fukito said that because rice prices rose too fast, she decided to adjust the amount of each purchase while observing the market. Osaka resident Yoshida Toshihiro said that the rising rice prices and the depreciation of the yen have increased the cost of living. In order to save money, he added soba noodles, cold noodles and other noodles to his table.

The sharp rise in rice prices not only affects people's dining tables, but also affects restaurant operations. Some restaurants have to pass on the cost pressure to consumers. Naoto Takahashi, the owner of a restaurant in Fukushima Prefecture, said that the restaurant uses local high-quality Koshihikari rice to make rice balls. Although it has tried to save electricity and gas as much as possible, it still has to make the difficult decision to raise prices.

Sendai Food Bank is a non-profit organization that distributes food to people in need. Kawakubo Yoshihiro, a director of the organization, said that due to factors such as high temperatures and rising rice prices, the amount of rice donations received has dropped significantly recently, and "currently there is only one month's supply left in stock." The organization originally distributed 3 kilograms of rice to each person seeking help in each charity event, but the amount has been reduced to 2 kilograms since June.

Why is supply and demand tight?

Currently, Japan's rice supply is insufficient. A survey conducted by the Japan Rice Merchants Association from April to May showed that 85% of rice stores had difficulty in stocking up; 80% of rice stores were worried about inventory, and 30% of them were "seriously worried." According to Japanese media reports, a supermarket in Nagano Prefecture had a sign on its rice shelf that said "one bag per family." The store manager, Kouta Kamiya, said that the rice shortage existed across the country, "In order to allow more consumers to buy rice, we have implemented purchase restrictions."

Industry insiders believe that there are three reasons behind Japan's current tight rice supply and demand situation.

First, the government's production adjustment policy controls rice production. Considering the national situation that rice consumption is declining as the population decreases, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries controls rice production by providing subsidies to farmers who switch to other crops. In 2023, Japan's rice production was 6.61 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 1.4%, a record low.

Secondly, extreme weather has reduced Japan's rice harvest. Most of the rice sold on the Japanese market was harvested the previous year. Japan's average temperature last summer hit a record high since records began in 1898. The extreme heat has caused the quality of rice to deteriorate, and Niigata Prefecture, a well-known rice producing area, has been particularly affected. Although inferior rice can still be eaten, the sales volume is limited, so the price of high-quality rice has risen accordingly.

Third, the number of tourists visiting Japan in the first half of this year hit a record high. Sushi, which is made from rice, has always been a favorite Japanese food among foreign tourists, and the demand for rice has increased accordingly.

Will it fall back in the near future?

New rice harvests have begun in various parts of Japan since August. According to Japanese media reports, in Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, where the harvest is earlier, the advance payments made by local agricultural cooperatives to farmers have increased by 40% to 50% year-on-year, while the corresponding increase last year was only 5% to 6%. An executive of a large Japanese rice distributor told the media: "There has never been such a sharp increase in the past 30 years."

Miyagi University professor emeritus Kazutsugu Oizumi said Japanese rice prices are expected to fall in September and October as new rice is harvested and flows into the market.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, based on the current supply situation and the purchase price of early rice, 5 kg of new rice was generally priced at 1,700 to 1,900 yen (about 80 to 89.4 yuan) in the past, but this year it may exceed 2,000 yen (about 94.2 yuan). In addition, the continued hot weather this summer has an unknown impact on the rice harvest. Oizumi has always believed that the price of rice may be higher at this time next year. (Editors: Xu Xiaolei, Chen Dan)