Japan to Allow Sale of Govt-Stockpiled Rice in Policy Shift

   Tokyo, Jan. 31 (Jiji Press)--Japan's agriculture ministry Friday unveiled a new system to sell some government-stockpiled rice reserved for emergency use, after rice prices soared last summer amid intense procurement competition for the staple food.
   The system gained approval at a meeting of a subcommittee of the Council of Food, Agriculture and Rural Area Policies, which advises the agriculture minister. It allows emergency rice reserves to be released on condition that the same amount of domestic rice of the same quality is bought back within a year.
   So far, the use of stockpiled rice has been limited to cases such as when production slumps due to poor harvests. The system marks a policy change as it allows the government to use the reserves to address problems with the distribution of rice.
   Under the system, the ministry will decide to release rice reserves at its discretion if rice distribution is disrupted.
   At the meeting, a council member said that "although price and supply-demand adjustments should be left to the market, it is inevitable" to introduce the system.

(2025/01/31-21:40)

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