Without fundamental reforms like integrating farmland and recruiting young cultivators, rice prices will keep soaring.

And yet despite the domestic production hurdles, the government plans to export 8 times more rice to foreign markets within the next 6 years.

https://japantoday.com/category/national/japan-aims-to-increase-rice-exports-8-fold-to-350-000-tons-in-2030

How much Japanese rice farmer really getting paid? 10 yen/hour.

While at the same time people grocery price is getting more and more.

https://www.threads.net/@therjj/post/DGZZUGDKHIl/the-shock-of-a-10-yen-hourly-wagefarmers-decide-to-launch-a-reiwa-peasant-uprisi

Just import more rice. It is not so difficult.

How about getting rid of the mandate that farmers leave a portion of their fields fallow?

Sp, leaving fallow land has been proven for centuries provide Now it provide flood relief, I ain't going to print loads of links, check it yuself.

The big Q from myself... where will the essential 'young rice pickers' be resourced from, failed bankers expats with large families??

the continued import import import.. to make MY rice cheaper does not cut it. Every nation with fertile soil should maximise its usage. Your offspring may u'stand that in future decades/

I think Speed is referring to the Acreage-Reduction Policy?

The Pros and Cons of Japan's Rice Acreage-Reduction Policy

https://www.tokyofoundation.org/research/detail.php?id=86

Every morning I view the undeniable fact that my farming neighbours could end up buried alongside their agricultural machinery.

Must be a new government led sponsored push to encourage a youth that the land, agriculture is essential to every community nationwide, food security, economic future.

The way forward could start with a debate action on integration.

Food security should be a high priority for Japan. Food Self sufficiency should also be a high priority. Recognizing that is the first step to classifying required agriculture as a national security issue and ensuring those people who work to keep food security for Japan should be paid accordingly, as are police, emergency services and ICT specialists.

Until this area is getting appropriate remuneration for what they do for Japan, and is held up as a honorable career that is suitably viewed as indispensable to the country, then current issues will persist and get worse.

Farming is not glamorous but is should be well paid to ensure continuation into the future. Maybe its time to make farmers more valued in society.

Japan can't produce rice in a commercial manner at scale that's competitive globally. Rather very niche production of very high quality and price, the way to go.

Rice market should just be opened up in order for domestic consumers to get pricing relief. Those that prefer more expensive Japanese rice will still buy and any not sold in Japan should seek out export markets with consumers who also want $premium Japanese rice.

30% of Japanese food is domestic produce. This is way too small. Instead of bolstering the US economy by buy useless arms, Japan should be encouraging domestic food production and helping the domestic economy. Put tariffs on imported food products, especially the unhealthy ultra processed ones and subsidise local food production. That's what other countries do!

While it may not be a popular idea, I think the gov't must move away from the small scale farms that they have supported for so long and allow for larger scale farming. I feel it is the only way that young farmers will become interested as a way of making a decent living. Growing rice on a postage sized piece of land may have worked 100 years ago, but not now!

Was watching the news last night and a farmer in Ofunato had to evacuate because of the wildfires, he returned to his farm to find his 5 cows still alive. He was so happy. 5 cows! They are more like pets, than him being a farmer!