International News
Why Rice Prices Are Soaring In Japan
Japanese inflation data released Friday showed that rice prices last month were a whopping 98 percent higher than a year earlier.
AFP looks at the factors behind the sharp increase, which started several months ago, and how it has become a major headache for the government of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Shortages
Experts say that the main reason for the spike in rice prices is simply because of a shortage of the food staple, which for centuries has been deeply ingrained in Japanese culture.
Factors behind that include a record hot summer in 2023 that hit harvests, followed by a surge in demand in 2024, in part fuelled by panic-buying following a warning of a massive earthquake, which did not materialise.
Unprecedented numbers of tourists hungry for sushi and other foods using rice have also been blamed, as have alleged hoarding by some distributors.
Falling acreage
For years, with rice consumption falling, government policy has been to reduce the amount of land used to grow the grain in favour of other crops.
At the same time, in line with Japan’s ageing population, many rice farmers are old and their children don’t want to take over.
Nearly 90 percent of individual farms are run by farmers over 60, and 70 percent have no successor secured, according to the agricultural ministry.
The amount of land used for rice paddies shrank to 2.3 million hectares (5.7 million acres) in 2024, down from a peak of 3.4 million hectares in 1961.
“The Japanese authorities have long focused on how to reduce the scale of rice production in the name of market control, and they haven’t focused on how to increase rice consumption,” said Tadao Koike, the third-generation master of a Tokyo rice retailer dating back over 90 years.
“Now we are all dealing with the payback,” Koike told AFP.
Stockpile
The government started to auction some of its emergency reserves in February, having previously tapped into them during disasters. This is first time since the stores were built in 1995 that supply chain problems are behind the move.
However, as the latest data show, the move has had little impact so far.
Masayuki Ogawa, assistant professor at Utsunomiya University, said this was because the reserve feeds into “blended rice” and not into the more popular branded grains from a particular region or variety.
“In terms of average prices, the price of brand-name rice has risen enough to offset the effect of stockpiled rice pushing down the average price, making it difficult for retail prices in supermarkets to fall even when stockpiled rice is released,” Ogawa told AFP.
Political backlash
After years of stagnant or falling prices, inflation is now squeezing Japanese consumers and by extension hitting support for the government.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has governed almost non-stop for decades, lost its majority last year and had to cobble together a coalition.
And last weekend the farm minister sparked public anger with controversial comments about accessing supplies.
Taku Eto told an event that he “never bought rice myself because my supporters donate so much to me”.
Eto resigned but the episode will likely have added to a sense among voters that the LDP — which faces upper house elections in July — is out of touch.
Still, Marcel Thieliant, at Capital Economics, said “weekly rice prices are showing signs of stabilisation so rice inflation should start to soften again before long”.
Jeremy Doku insisted Manchester “will keep on fighting” in the Premier League title race despite their “painful” draw with Everton on Monday.
City drew 3-3 with the Toffees at Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Doku scoring a 97th-minute equaliser, having also scored the opening goal.
Doku’s equaliser (96:49) is City’s third-latest goal on record (since 2006-07) in a Premier League game after John Stones’ strike against Arsenal in September 2024 (97:14) and Gabriel Jesus’ goal against Everton in February 2019 (96:52).
Doku has had a hand in six goals across his last five games for City in all competitions (four goals, two assists), as many as in his previous 22 games combined (one goal, five assists).
The Belgian also created the most chances in the match against Everton (four), completed the most dribbles (5/7) and won the most duels (14/19).
City avoided defeat in a Premier League game despite trailing by 2+ goals as late as the 82nd minute for the first time since March 2012 against Sunderland (3-3).
They went on to win the league title in 2011-12, and Doku believes City can still beat Arsenal to the trophy this season.
“First half, we played well and created a lot of chances. We know if we don’t score those chances, it is going to get difficult at the end,” said Doku.
“Obviously, they are at their own stadium, they create chances, and they are dangerous, and they scored two goals, but I think we gave them the game.
“Good that we came back because one point is not bad in games like this.
“We will see. It feels painful now. There is still a lot of games to go. We lost two points, but we know that one point can be important at the end.
“We will keep on fighting. We owe it to ourselves and to our fans.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Nigerians interested in repatriation from South Africa will be responsible for the cost of their return trip to Nigeria.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, stated this during a press briefing on Monday in Abuja.
The briefing came shortly after a closed-door meeting between the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dunoma Ahmed, and the South African Acting High Commissioner, Lesoli Machele.
Mr Ebienfa said the process will be self-funded and not state-funded, as it is a voluntary decision that the Nigerian government will only facilitate and coordinate.
In the recent past, such reparations have been sponsored by Nigerian airline owners, particularly Allen Onyema, the CEO of Air Peace.
The Nigerian government, on Sunday, indicated its readiness to repatriate its citizens from South Africa due to xenophobic violence.
The effort primarily targets Nigerians who feel threatened by the xenophobic violence and tension in parts of South Africa, as the protests against black immigrants in the country continue. Two Nigerians were killed last month.
Since the announcement, about 130 Nigerians in South Africa have expressed a willingness to return home voluntarily.
Mr Ebienfa stated that the return of the Nigerians depends on their financial capacity, as they would be expected to fund their trip back home individually.
He said, “Those willing to leave are expected to approach the high commission and, given that their decision is voluntary, have the resources to fund their return to Nigeria.”
The government will not “provide an aircraft from Nigeria to convey them.”
He also noted that the speed of the repatriation process will be determined by the availability of funds.
“Yes, 130 as of this morning have registered, but actualisation would be required to have their flight ticket to move back to Nigeria.”
Mr Ebienfa also explained that Nigerians who have so far expressed interest are motivated either by concerns about threats to their lives or by fear of arrest by South African law enforcement agencies.
“There are two groups of Nigerians who want to come back. One group feels the country is not safe for them and wants to come. They have all their papers intact.
“Then there is also the second group that has travel document violations or resident permit violations. And instead of running away from law enforcement, they are appealing that the government facilitate their movement back to Nigeria,” he explained.
However, he noted that the process is still being worked out and that the government would step in to provide aircraft or other needed assistance if tensions rise and the situation becomes more volatile.
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