Japan’s rice inventory in the private sector has reached its lowest level since 1999, dropping to 1.56 million tons in June. This marks a significant decrease of approximately 20 percent compared to the previous year, according to the farm ministry. The decline in inventory can be attributed to the surge in inbound tourism and last year’s scorching summer heat, which affected rice crop yields.
With high temperatures persisting this summer, there is growing concern that the already limited inventory may decline further, leading to potential price hikes. The government anticipates that by June next year, rice inventory will decrease even further to 1.52 million tons, exacerbating the situation.
The demand for rice in Japan had been on a downward trend due to the country’s declining population. However, preliminary data reveals a surprising increase in domestic demand for the year through June, standing at 7.02 million tons. This represents an uptick of 110,000 tons compared to the previous year, marking the first increase in a decade.
One of the factors contributing to this rise in demand is the relatively reasonable price of rice compared to other staple foods such as bread or noodles. With the removal of COVID-19 travel restrictions and a weak yen, Japan has experienced a significant influx of tourists. These visitors prioritize sampling Japanese cuisine, which has further fueled the demand for rice.
In June, producer cooperatives sold rice to wholesalers at an average price of 15,865 yen ($102) per 60 kilograms, the highest in over a decade. Despite these developments, the farm ministry emphasizes that the supply-demand balance is currently not in crisis, pointing out that the full distribution of rice produced this year has not yet been realized.
Nevertheless, stakeholders remain cautious as the ongoing surge in tourism and high temperatures continue to impact Japan’s rice inventory. They recognize the need for proactive measures to ensure a stable supply of rice and address potential price fluctuations in the future.
Zalihe riže u privatnom sektoru u Japanu dosegle su najnižu razinu od 1999. godine, s padom na 1,56 milijuna tona u lipnju. To predstavlja značajan pad od otprilike 20 posto u usporedbi s prethodnom godinom, prema informacijama ministarstva poljoprivrede. Smanjenje zaliha može se pripisati porastu ulaznog turizma i prošlogodišnjoj vrućini koja je utjecala na prinos riže.
S obzirom na visoke temperature koje traju ovog ljeta, raste zabrinutost da će već ograničene zalihe dalje opadati, što može dovesti do mogućeg rasta cijena. Vlada predviđa da će se do lipnja iduće godine zalihe riže dodatno smanjiti na 1,52 milijuna tona, pogoršavajući situaciju.
Potražnja za rižom u Japanu bila je u opadanju zbog smanjenja stanovništva zemlje. Međutim, preliminarni podaci otkrivaju iznenađujući porast domaće potražnje za razdoblje do lipnja, koji iznosi 7,02 milijuna tona. To predstavlja porast od 110.000 tona u odnosu na prethodnu godinu, što je prvi porast u desetljeću.
Jedan od faktora koji doprinose tom porastu potražnje je relativno povoljna cijena riže u usporedbi s drugim osnovnim namirnicama poput kruha ili rezanaca. S ukidanjem putnih restrikcija COVID-19 i slabljenjem jena, Japan je doživio značajan priliv turista. Ti posjetitelji daju prioritet kušanju japanske kuhinje, što dodatno potiče potražnju za rižom.
U lipnju su proizvođačke zadruge rižu prodale veletrgovcima po prosječnoj cijeni od 15.865 jena (102 dolara) po 60 kilograma, najvišoj u proteklom desetljeću. Unatoč tim razvojnim događajima, ministarstvo poljoprivrede ističe da trenutno nema krize u ravnoteži ponude i potražnje, upozoravajući da se još nije ostvarila potpuna distribucija riže proizvedene ove godine.
Ipak, dionici ostaju oprezni kako nastavak porasta turizma i visoke temperature nastavljaju utjecati na zalihe riže u Japanu. Oni prepoznaju potrebu za proaktivnim mjerama kako bi se osigurala stabilna opskrba rižom i riješile moguće fluktuacije cijena u budućnosti.
Definitions:
– Inbound tourism: dolazni turizam
– Rice crop yields: prinos riže
– Price hikes: povećanje cijena
– Domestic demand: domaća potražnja
– Staple foods: osnovne namirnice
– COVID-19 travel restrictions: putne restrikcije COVID-19
– Weak yen: slabljenje jena
– Proactive measures: proaktivne mjere
– Supply-demand balance: ravnoteža ponude i potražnje
Suggested related link: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries