Japanese Rice Prices Hit New Highs, "Rice Thieves" Emerge

According to reports by Japanese media on April 30, against the backdrop of rice prices hitting new highs, "rice thieves" have been spotted frequently in many areas of Japan, causing economic losses for rice growers.

According to police reports, since April, a total of 12 cases of rice theft have occurred in Ibaraki Prefecture and Chiba Prefecture, the main rice-producing areas, with at least 2.5 tons of rice stolen. In Chikusei City, Ibaraki Prefecture, thieves stole as much as 420 kilograms of rice at one time. Similar theft cases have also occurred in Niigata Prefecture and Aomori Prefecture.

The police have launched investigations into these cases and reminded rice growers to take precautions, regularly check their rice inventories, and prevent "rice thieves".

Statistics released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on April 28 showed that the average price of a 5-kilogram bag of rice on the Japanese market was 4220 yen (approximately 214 RMB), setting a new high for 16 consecutive weeks.

According to Japanese media reports, the latest data indicates that despite the government's auction of three batches of reserve rice since March, the upward trend in rice prices has not been effectively curbed.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said on April 30 that six companies won bids for the third batch of reserve rice auctions, totaling approximately 100,000 tons, with an average transaction price of 20,302 yen per 60 kilograms (approximately 1031 RMB), slightly lower than the previous two batches. To stabilize rice prices, the Japanese government plans to release reserve rice into the market every month before July.

Since the summer of 2024, affected by extreme heat leading to reduced rice harvests and other factors, Japanese rice prices have continued to rise. In August last year, the meteorological department warned of an increased possibility of a major earthquake occurring in the southern sea trench of the Pacific Ocean in eastern Japan, triggering public hoarding of rice and a "rice shortage" in Japan. With the arrival of new rice, the "rice shortage" has eased somewhat, but rice prices remain high.

Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830921981251657/

Disclaimer: This article only represents the author's personal views.