Rice Regions Press Government for Early Stockpile Buyback as Prices Fall
# rice policy# stockpile buyback# Japan agriculture
Key Points
- Producing regions urge early buyback of reserve rice before the new harvest hits markets
- The government weighs support for farmers against consumer prices
Analysis
With rice prices retreating from highs, producing regions now urge the government to buy back reserve rice before the new harvest arrives, propping up prices — while officials counsel caution. Within a single year, rice policy has swung from suppressing prices for consumers to supporting them for farmers, a textbook illustration of food policy's dilemma.