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The story
On August 28, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced that the average price of 5kg of rice sold at supermarkets nationwide from the 17th to the 23rd was ¥3,156, down ¥35 from the previous week. This marks the second straight week of declines, and private-sector stockpiles as of the end of July reached 1.62 million tons — the highest level for July since records began in 2008. On the thread, doubts about real-world prices piled up (“Still too expensive,” “It’s already under ¥3,000 at OK Store or Gyomu Super”), while the discussion widened beyond simple price griping into how to price the new crop amid swelling stockpiles, whether farmers can actually turn a profit, and even whether people are simply eating less rice these days.
Jiji Press — Fri, Aug 28, 18:03 JST
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced on the 28th that the average price per 5kg of rice sold at roughly 1,000 supermarkets nationwide from the 17th to the 23rd was ¥3,156, down ¥35 from the previous week.
This is the second consecutive week of declines. Private-sector stockpiles as of the end of July stood at 1.62 million tons, the highest level for the month of July since surveys began in 2008.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
People who've already given up on rice won't come back unless it drops under ¥2,500
This year's new-crop Koshihikari was going for ¥2,300 tax included where I shop
Let the whole rice industry go under along with JA (Japan's agricultural co-op)
Taste aside, rice is basically a carb bomb lol — I quit eating it and just stopped gaining weight entirely
Might be the ultimate diet honestly
JA's probably already cashed out long ago
The real question is what they do with the new crop on top of this mountain of leftover stock
If it's just sitting there surplus, might as well throw it out lol
It's already ¥1,980 near me
Support them by eating up
Too looong!!!
So Akita's new 'Komaneci' comes in at ¥4,000 — guess that's how it stacks up (wordplay chaining the rice brand Akitakomachi, gymnast Komaneci, and the robot Tachikoma)
Haven't touched rice in about half a year, and even eating three full meals a day I just don't gain weight anymore
Feel great too
I still think you should have at least one bowl a day though
Just mix in some barley
When it comes to actual health, it's protein, calcium, vegetables, mushrooms, seaweed, and fermented foods that matter
Rice is basically an afterthought
And even that rice, they recommend mixing in barley or soybeans, and tell you to eat it last in the meal
People drifting away from rice seems inevitable at this point
What even counts as a 'staple food' anymore?
If you're going to eat it, make it breakfast and just half a bowl
A full bowl is clearly too many carbs
La Muu
Don Quijote
Kanesue
Gyomu Super
Kimble (VegeVege)
Under ¥2,500 is just normal
No way I'm buying at that price
I'll stretch what rice I've got left and wait for the new crop lol
Drive the farmers out of business and next we get a rice shortage caused by a labor shortage
Just raise the import quota
Honestly, that'd be fine lol
Even if the farming itself doesn't turn a profit, offsetting it against their day-job salary wipes out their taxes, so they're effectively raking it in
Looking at this survey, it feels like they're only sampling the pricier stores
There must be plenty of places selling 5kg for under ¥3,000 by now
Looks like nothing but the Agriculture Ministry spinning the numbers
Same with the BOJ's price statistics — this country has started fudging even its basic data now
I thought the same at first, but
it's probably because they're folding in premium brands like Uonuma Koshihikari, Tsuyahime, and Yumepirika, which would push the average up to about that
This year's new crop is going for about ¥2,000, going rate
i.imgur.com/Zf0Rlrd.jpeg
Background and Key Points of This Story
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ “Rice Retail Price Survey” samples roughly 1,000 major retail stores nationwide, a method prone to regional and format skew. On the thread, several posters pointed out that “it feels like they’re only counting the expensive stores” and that “under ¥3,000 is normal at places like OK Store or Gyomu Super.” The Ministry, for its part, has explained that the figure is a weighted average that includes premium branded rice such as Uonuma Koshihikari — a different baseline than a simple survey of discount chains. It’s also easy to overlook that “private-sector stockpiles” refers to inventory held by collection agents, wholesalers, and retailers along the distribution chain, separate from the government’s own reserve stockpile — so a large private stockpile doesn’t automatically translate into lower market prices. Alongside the price complaints, the thread also branched into debates over the health merits of eating less rice and the profitability structure facing farmers, with no single takeaway dominating the discussion.
※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread “Rice Drops to ¥3,156 per 5kg — Private Stockpiles at Record High, Says Agriculture Ministry.”
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