Rice prices in Japan increased by nearly 90%

The average retail price of rice in Japan increased by nearly 90% compared to the same period last year, reaching 3,829 yen (about 645,000 VND)/5kg bag.

Retail prices of rice at supermarkets across Japan have increased by nearly 90% compared to the same period last year due to supply shortages - Photo: REPORT.AZ

NHK on February 18 quoted information from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture as saying that in the first week of February, the retail price of a 5kg bag of rice at supermarkets across the country reached 3,829 yen (about 25.22 USD), an increase of nearly 90% compared to the same period last year.

The retail price of rice at supermarkets in Japan in February 2024 was only 2,000 yen (about 13.17 USD)/5kg bag.

In October 2024, Japanese officials warned that the Japonica Koshihikari rice variety could disappear due to global warming.

Bred in 1956, for the past 40 years, Japonica Koshihikari has remained the most popular rice variety in Japan.

In the summer of 2024, Niigata Prefecture - one of Japan's main rice-growing regions - said that only 5% of its harvested rice was suitable for sale, instead of the usual 80%.

This has caused Japan to fall into a serious rice shortage recently.

On February 14, Agriculture Minister Taku Eto said the government would release 210,000 tons of rice, equivalent to one-fifth of the emergency rice reserve, to curb rice prices that continue to rise.

Since the fall of 2024, rice prices in the land of the rising sun have reached their highest level in the past 31 years.

The reasons are attributed to rising labor costs, rising fertilizer prices due to inflation, weather effects as Japan experiences a hot summer, and unprecedented demand for rice from tourists.

In August 2024, people rushed to buy out rice at supermarkets due to a series of storms and rumors of an impending major earthquake.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/gia-gao-o-nhat-tang-gan-90-20250219155117733.htm