TOKYO - The Japanese farm ministry is considering buying back an additional 100,000 tons of rice to replenish government reserves drawn down by releases in 2025, following a 210,000-ton purchase in September, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
Last month's buyback, the first such attempt since the current stockpiling system began in fiscal 2011, came after the government released a total of 590,000 tons of emergency rice reserves in 2025 in response to a shortage that began around the summer of 2024.
The release left the government's emergency rice stockpile at around 320,000 tons, far below the roughly 1 million tons considered appropriate.
The timing of the additional purchase will depend on supply and demand conditions, including harvest figures through late October that will be released next month, the sources said.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries believes the additional buyback will not squeeze the country's rice market, as rice inventories reached 1.5 million tons at the end of August, a record high for that time of year.
The government is also considering a 2027 staple rice harvest target of 6.93 million tons, down from the projected 7.4 million tons in 2026, the sources said.
The government plans to encourage farmers to produce more rice for animal feed and processing, both of which are considered in short supply, the sources said.
