Rice Producers in Japan Plan to Increase Total Cropping Area by 23,000 Hectares in 2025; Aiming to End Supply Shortage

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:21 JST, March 23, 2025

Many rice producers plan to raise production volumes by an increase in cropping area this year to cope with the ongoing shortage of rice supply.

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry has announced the total rice cropping area in 2025 will be increased by 23,000 hectares from the previous year to a total of 1.282 million hectares.

Rice productiwill be increased in Hokkaido, Niigata Prefecture and 17 other prefectures, a substantial rise from five prefectures in the previous year.

As rice prices, which had remained level for many years, continue to rise, rice farmers have shown a willingness to increase production.

If harvest conditions will be comparable to an average year, the total production volume of rice to be harvested in 2025 will likely be 6.91 million tons, up 120,000 tons from the previous year. This may result in an elimination of the current rice shortage.

The government also plans to increase production volumes of rice for export. The government’s goal is ambitious, aiming to raise the total export volume in 2030 to 350,000 tons, which is about an eight-fold increase from 46,000 tons in 2024.

If rice supplies in the nation remain low, the government aims to supply this rice to domestic markets instead of as exports.

Some food service companies and retailers have begun using imported rice.

Matsuya Foods Holding Co., an operator of a major gyudon beef rice bowl restaurant chain, switched to using a blend of domestic and imported rice in some of the chain’s restaurants starting in May last year.

The company faced difficulties in trying to secure the necessary volume based on domestically produced rice alone.

Yoshinoya Co. has also used a blend of domestically produced and imported rice since spring in 2023.

Among retail companies, Seiyu Co. has sold rice produced in Taiwan since November last year. The Taiwanese rice is of the japonica short grain variety like Japanese rice.

Prices of the Taiwanese rice are about 20% lower than those of domestically produced rice of the same quality, and the company said sales have been good.

Aeon Co. has also suggested a possibility its chain stores will sell rice produced overseas.

A tariff of ¥341 per kilogram is imposed on rice imported by private companies outside of the government’s import quota. U.S.-made Calrose brand rice is about ¥500 per kilogram, including the tariff.

Compared with Koshihikari brands, sold at ¥900 of per kilogram in Tokyo’s 23 wards in February, the price of Calrose is relatively low.