Change in Rice Agricultural Policy: The Decision to Increase Production is Laudable

Editorial

15:26 JST, August 6, 2025

The government is set to revise its policy that in effect reduces rice paddy acreage and shift to increasing production. This is a decision that will transform the postwar agricultural policy on rice. It is hoped that the government will work to strengthen the production base so that the public can eat rice with peace of mind.

The government presented its reform plan for the rice policy at a meeting of relevant ministers on Aug. 5. “We will change course toward more rice production,” said Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, indicating that the government will take steps to revise the acreage reduction policy.

Under the agricultural policy since the 1970s, the government has maintained prices through production adjustments, reducing the amount of land on which rice is cultivated. Some have argued that this dampens the motivation of producers and weakens the production base.

Although officially the acreage reduction policy was ended with the 2018 harvest, the government still provides subsidies to farmers who shift from growing rice to be eaten at meals to such crops as rice meant for animal feed, soybeans or wheat, effectively maintaining the policy.

The so-called Reiwa-era rice crisis, during which rice prices have risen since summer last year and are now more than double the previous year’s level, has exposed the limitations of such a policy.

Ishiba’s decision to change the rice policy is appreciated. It is hoped that the government will support increased production by motivated farmers.

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry recognized that insufficient production was a factor in the price surge. This is also a step forward. Previously, the ministry stuck to the view that bottlenecks in the rice distribution system were the cause of the problem, and argued there was no shortage in production.

The ministry, which sought to prevent a drop in prices, may have been too considerate of producers. It will have to reflect on its failure to incorporate the consumer’s perspective, and its slowness in taking action, including a delay in releasing stockpiled rice.

In a new assessment, demand for the 2024 harvest of rice intended for meals was estimated at 7.11 million tons, 370,000 tons more than the estimate last year. The ministry failed to predict the rise in consumption driven by foreign visitors to Japan and the rush by households to buy due to shortages, among other factors.

As a result, production last year was 320,000 tons short. Strengthening the production base is an urgent issue.

With the reform policy, the government will focus on measures to prevent farmland from being abandoned in order to boost production.

In addition to fully committing to expanding exports, the government will promote smart agriculture that uses cutting-edge technology and push for the formation of large-scale operations through such means as consolidating agricultural land. These measures are all headed in the right direction.

Going forward, from a food security perspective, it will be necessary to give thorough consideration to strengthening production for soybeans, wheat and other crops in addition to rice.

If rice prices fall because of greater production, consumers will benefit greatly. However, the rise in material and other costs has been severe, and farmers are having a difficult time running their businesses.

If prices fall too much, farmers could leave the sector in large numbers. Based on the direction of its reforms, the government should hold further discussions on what the appropriate compensation for farmers should be like.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 6, 2025)