随意ずいい契約けいやくの備蓄びちく米まい 来月らいげつ以降いこうも小売こうり業者ぎょうしゃの販売はんばい認みとめる方針ほうしん固かためる

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has decided to allow retailers to continue selling stockpiled rice under discretionary contracts even after the sales deadline at the end of this month.

As newly harvested rice begins to be distributed at prices exceeding 4,000 yen for 5 kilograms, consumers will still have the option to buy more affordable rice.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, aiming to lower the persistently high rice prices, has been selling reserve rice to retailers through negotiated contracts since May this year, requesting that it be sold out by the end of this month.

However, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, due to factors such as the time-consuming process of shipping from warehouses, out of the approximately 300,000 tons requested for purchase, only a little over 107,000 tons had been sold by retailers as of the 10th of this month.

Amid these circumstances, according to sources, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has decided to continue allowing retailers to sell reserve rice through discretionary contracts from next month onward.

Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is requesting contracted retailers to collect the stockpiled rice by the 20th, but even if they are unable to do so by the deadline, adjustments are being made to continue shipments if the retailers wish.

At supermarkets and other places, new rice has started to be sold at prices exceeding 4,000 yen for 5 kilograms, and the nationwide average price of rice announced on the 18th was 3,737 yen including tax for 5 kilograms, an increase of 195 yen from the previous week.

In this situation, allowing the sale of reserve rice to continue after September will leave consumers with the option to buy reasonably priced rice at around 2,000 yen for 5 kilograms.