Agriculture Minister Considers Review of Japan’s Rice Harvest Statistics (UPDATE 1)

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:06 JST, June 16, 2025 (updated at 17:30 JST)

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on Monday that the crop yield index, an indicator that shows how well rice crops have grown in a given year, would be abolished.

He said that satellite, artificial intelligence and other technologies would be used to determine how well rice crops have grown.

Koizumi had said on Sunday that he was considering a review of rice harvest-related statistics such as the crop yield index and the quantity of paddy rice harvest.

Some farmers believe that these statistics “do not reflect the actual situation” regarding rice production, he told reporters in Fukushima City.

Koizumi exchanged views with the agricultural sector in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, and other areas, and later answered questions from reporters in Fukushima City.

“We cannot formulate a medium- to long-term rice policy unless we restore confidence in the data and statistics that form the basis of the policy,” Koizumi said.