Japan announces fresh measures to improve supply of rice

The agriculture ministry has introduced measures to expedite the release of stockpiled rice from 2022, 2023, and 2024 harvests onto shelves by setting aside a preferential auction quota for quick sellers. A fourth auction in May will handle over 100,000 tons of rice, with plans to release another 100,000 tons monthly between May and July. The government aims to fully release stockpiled rice by April. Additionally, the buyback period for auctioned stockpiled rice has been extended from one year to five years, and this year's harvest will not be restocked to focus on improving supply.