Japan Rice Exports Hit Record High for Jan.-July

Tokyo, Sept. 3 (Jiji Press)--Japanese rice exports hit a record high for January-July both in volume and value, chiefly reflecting demand from restaurants offering Japanese cuisine, agriculture ministry data showed Tuesday. 
 

According to export data for Japanese agricultural, forestry and fishery products plus food, rice exports rose 29.1 pct from a year earlier to 6,462 million yen. The export volume climbed 23 pct to 24,469 tons.
 

In value, the overall exports of agricultural and other items fell 2 pct to 815.6 billion yen, still affected by China's blanket ban on exports of Japanese fishery products.
 

The Japanese government promotes rice exports in hopes of boosting rice demand.
 

On the domestic front, Japan faces a rice shortage at retail stores. But rice exports are only a fraction of the country's total annual rice demand of about 7 million tons.
 

"This year's rice crop production is doing well across the country," agriculture minister Tetsushi Sakamoto said Tuesday.
 

"Shipments (of this year's rice) are expected to take place earlier than planned," he added, indicating that the rice shortage will be resolved gradually.

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