The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries published the 2024 Producer Rice Inventory Survey Results.
As of the end of June 2025, rice inventory at the producer level totaled 1.987 million tons, down 123,000 tons (5.8%) from the same period last year. By variety, ordinary rice was 1.882 million tons and glutinous rice was 105,000 tons. By major production areas, Niigata Prefecture had the highest inventory with 248,000 tons, followed by Hokkaido with 221,000 tons and Akita Prefecture with 184,000 tons.
Factors behind the year-on-year decrease include smooth sales of 2023 crop rice and decreased production due to reduced planted area. Sales prices averaged 15,280 yen per 60kg nationwide, up 3.2% year-on-year. By variety prices, Koshihikari reached the highest price of 18,450 yen, followed by Akitakomachi at 16,890 yen.
Regarding inventory quality status, Grade 1 rice accounted for 82.4%, Grade 2 rice 15.3%, and Grade 3 or below 2.3%, maintaining overall good quality. In regional price trends, price increases were notable in the Kanto and Tokai regions, influenced by recovery in urban consumption demand.
The article shows that the rice supply-demand balance is improving, contributing to management stabilization for producers.