Govt to Release Stockpiled Rice for Processed Foods from Aug.

   Tokyo, July 5 (Jiji Press)--Japanese agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi has said that the government will release its stockpiled rice for use in processed foods and beverages such as miso, rice crackers, sake and shochu distilled spirits, starting in August.
   The rice is planned to be sold to businesses under discretionary contracts. Details including the amount of rice to be released will be decided later.
   The move comes after the government released its stockpiled rice to retailers and others to curb soaring prices of the staple food.
   A recent survey showed that the 2025 acreage for staple food rice was the largest in five years as of the end of April.
   As the 2025 rice crop for processed products is expected to decrease, people including those in the sake brewery industry have been calling for the release of government-stockpiled rice for them by around mid-September, when the brewing process starts.

(2025/07/05-15:18)