Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Kenichi Suzuki announced at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting on the 1st that the government will buy back 210,000 tons of the reserve rice released since last year. The target is the 2025 crop, which has seen swelling inventories, and discretionary contracts will be concluded within this month. This decision is based on the 2026 crop outlook published at the end of August, and Suzuki emphasized that "it has been confirmed that a sufficient supply of rice will be secured." He also stated that after the buyback, "we would like to proceed appropriately while assessing supply and demand conditions," leaving room for additional buybacks. The reserve rice inventory is considered appropriate at 1 million tons, but as a result of releasing a total of 590,000 tons for food use since last year, it has fallen to 320,000 tons, making it urgent to restore reserve levels from the perspective of food security.
Government buyback of 210,000 tons of reserve rice reduces market supply, likely supporting prices.
