Japan aims to more than quadruple rice exports in 2019

Why are we taxpayers paying for government bureaucrats to try to run a rice production business?

They could do that if they like, but do it with their own financial resources, not ours (or at least, mine).

Seriously, this article is in the business section even... This part of the Ministry of Agriculture should be privatised immediately.

Any chance Japanese consumers will have a similar opportunity to try reasonably-priced Thai rice, or Basmati?

Don't be silly. One-way street as usual.

So, Japan, which is a mere 44% or so self-sufficient in food, is aiming to export much more of what it produces. And are they going to lower the 900% tariffs on imported rice? Nope! And will they cry if other countries talk about increasing tariffs "out of necessity" because the influx of Japanese rice is hurting domestic farmers? They will not only cry, but forget about the total hypocrisy.

Remember when Japan used to take the very limited quota of rice they allowed America to sell, basically just transfer the containers to another ship, and donate it to SE Asian countries as food aid? That was a very Trumpesque maneuver. Filthy foreign rice will never touch these sacred shores (unless disguised in pre-processed items).

I'm sick of subsiding pretend farmers.

I watched a guy ploughing a square smaller than a tennis court with a shiny new tractor last week. It will then lie fallow just as it has for the past 10 years but he will claim all possible kinds of subsidies.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. Farmer fraud is endemic.

I used to think the European CAP was flawed but....WTF is it with Japanese farming policies.

The strange thing is, Japanese rice isn't even that good. If you like stodge, well fine, but basmati or Thai rice is far superior.

Why not reduce the price of Japanese rice here instead of selling it for double in Hong Kong?

Increase demand of sushi! Then you'll see increased demand of Japanese rice.

So Japan wants to increase their export of rice do they? But they won't increase the import, will they now? Oh heaven forbid if they have to be be a little less selfish and a little more open...

...Bunch of hypocrites.

If I were a country, I would tax Japan with 5000% import taxes unless they allowed me to export just as much rice as they wish to export. That would serve them right.

Domestic demand for rice has been decreasing by around 8 tons a year

Why has domestic demand been decreasing? This should be more important than attempting to increasing exports. Are people eating more imported rice or are they eating less rice in total? Everybody knows the Japanese saying, "Finish your rice to help the farmers." If consumption of domestic rice is decreasing it is a major problem for the price fixing Agricultural ministry and the farmers who get paid to not grow rice.

If they do decide to export more Rice, then that will surely give rise to additional questions from overseas about the Government Subsidies and protectionism against imported rice , and should those both be removed, what then for the Japanese Rice Industry ?

pump up the exports, NEVER ALLOW IMPORTS!

As usual, I think we will be in for a shock when we realize that (gasp) Japanese rice is not the only good rice on earth.

alas, some of the comments here belie an absence of basic economics knowledge - like supply and demand. and the abe detractors, as usual, fail to see this as the tit for the TPP tat to open up japan's domestic market.

@xin xin - precisely, if Japan's market is open to Rice Imports, then what will happen to the Japanese Rice Farmer ... become an item for the History books ? I say that since most people will, given the push to save money, opt for the Cheaper version, leaving the domestic rice consumption to Restaurants such as Sushi which need high quality.

That said, Japanese Rice happens to taste sweeter than other Rice, and is easier to eat upon its own - unlike non-Japanese variants, which I have had in the past. But I wouldn't use Japanese Rice for authentic non-Japanese dishes, such as Thai, or some Indian dishes. So the opening of the Japanese Market to international Rice imports would have some culinary diversity benefits to the home.

Perhaps Japan should market their Rice to connoisseurs ?

It always astounds me when otherwise rational, educated people here blithely announce that they have never tried, and never want to try, any other form of rice than Japonica from Japan, because everybody knows it's by far the best.

That's why we're not allowed to try any other form - everybody knows nobody would like it.

It's like a grown man being besotted with his mother's boobs because they're the first and only pair he's ever seen.

You can't describe something as the best without comparing it to anything else.

But no doubt wareware nihonjin will lap up this cereal colonialism as proof of their own uniqueness, and never think for a moment that they're paying hand over fist in subsidies so that anyone in other countries will look twice at it. Try selling rice in Hong Kong at Japanese prices and see how much of it you'll shift.

Good. Please export plenty of Toyama Ken rice to Beikoku! Best rice I've ever had was in Toyama, and I've been all over Japan. Yes, I'm a rice connoisseur.

The decreasing by 8 tons a year comment is laughable. It's the about the amount of rice you'd pull off paddies equal to three soccer pitches. Divided by average consumption of 60kg per person per year, it's about enough for 130 odd people.

You'd have to be pedant of the year to think that is worthy of a mention.

Why not reduce the price of Japanese rice here instead of selling it for double in Hong Kong?

Because this Japan,home of the Japanese business man that doesn't give a damn about her own people, only profits overseas to inflate their egos.

What are the quantifiable micro grams of arsenic levels in the rice compared to USA Southern rice?

you'll want to drop the prices... overseas prices for rice are not inflated with such outrageous and inefficient subsidies to farmers...

Parboiled rice is $1.50 per 900 grams so how would Japan exports compete with that? Even so I stop eating it after NutritionFacts.org painted the arsenic picture in a 13 video series about rice. (Gist: USA Southern rice has lots of arsenic, California rice much less, India rice the lowest, but rice contains some arsenic generally). Arsenic is water soluble so you can reduce it, but if you eat rice daily or even more than once a week then probably not. I just decided it wasn't worth it when there are half a dozen other grains out there that are worth trying. So far Barley as replacement has turned out to work fine in my rice cooker and tastes great. Also low cost, 88 cents for 450 grams. Pretty close. Both Pot Barley and Pearl Barley.

https://nutritionfacts.org/?fwp_search=rice&fwp_content_type=video

Anyway, if the arsenic content of Japanese rice were known, and if it was low, that could make for great marketing. But it remains to be seen if the higher price would be worth the exporting at all.