Japan Govt to Release 210,000 Tons of Stockpiled Rice

   Tokyo, Feb. 14 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese agriculture ministry said Friday that it will release 210,000 tons of rice stockpiled by the government to help lower prices by easing distribution bottlenecks.
   "We are considering expanding the amount, if necessary," agriculture minister Taku Eto said at a press conference. "There will be no upper limit."
   The ministry will first release 150,000 tons, aiming to start deliveries in mid-March. When the rest will be released depends on the situation. Released rice is expected to start arriving at stores as early as late March.
   The ministry plans to sell stockpiled rice to buyers whose rice purchases exceed 5,000 tons per year, on the condition that it will buy back the same amount and grade of homegrown rice basically within a year.
   In the past, the ministry released stockpiled rice only in response to serious poor harvests and large-scale disasters. It revised its guidelines last month to allow the rice to be released to ensure smooth distribution.

(2025/02/14-14:09)