Japan to Set Up Ministerial Council on Rice This Week

   Tokyo, June 2 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Monday that he would set up a ministerial council this week to discuss achieving the stable supply of rice amid soaring prices.
   "We want to thoroughly discuss farmland prices and food security to stabilize farmers' finances," Ishiba said at the Budget Committee of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of parliament.
   He reiterated the need to review the government-led adjustment for rice production and said that it is necessary to draw a conclusion on the matter as soon as possible.
   Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi said that the government will drastically shift its rice field policy toward fiscal 2027 and beyond. A basic plan will be drawn up in fiscal 2025, which ends next March, he said.
   Ishiba rejected a call for a ban on political donations from corporations and organizations. "As companies are members of society, they should express their political will" through donations, he said.

(2025/06/02-13:58)