Japan Rice Price to Wholesalers Hits Record High in Sept.

Tokyo, Oct. 18 (Jiji Press)--The average sales price to wholesalers of rice harvested in Japan in 2024 hit a record high of 22,700 yen per 60 kilograms of brown rice in September, the agriculture ministry said Friday.

The price topped 20,000 yen for the first time on record, surging 48.5 pct from the year-before average for the 2023 crop.

The price spike reflected higher costs for agricultural materials such as fertilizer, as well as a tight supply-demand balance for rice produced in 2023.

This summer, the country was hit by a severe shortage of rice in stores, intensifying competition to buy rice from producers, with agricultural cooperatives buying rice at higher prices.

Retail rice prices have also been rising. Consumer price data released by the internal affairs ministry Friday showed that rice prices jumped 44.7 pct from a year before in September, the steepest increase in 49 years.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]