TOKYO -- The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has decided to release government rice reserves as a measure against persistently high prices for the staple food commodity in Japan. The Mainichi Shimbun looked into how the government stores rice while preserving its quality.
As of the end of June 2024, approximately 910,000 metric tons of these reserves were stored at about 300 locations nationwide.
One warehouse in Saitama Prefecture stores some 20,000 tons of rice. There, 30-kilogram bags of the food item were stacked on top of each other, and massive bags containing about 1 ton each were also piled up to a height of approximately 5 meters.
According to a representative from the warehouse management company, the temperature inside is maintained below 15 degrees Celsius year-round, and the humidity is kept between 60% and 65% to preserve quality. In addition to pest control measures, boards are installed at the warehouse entrance to keep rodents out. "There must be no accidents with the stored rice," the representative stated. For security and other reasons, the exact location of the warehouse is not disclosed.
Of the 210,000 tons of reserved rice that the agriculture ministry has decided to release, the first 150,000 tons will be sold to distributors through bidding. These products are expected to appear on the shelves of supermarkets across the country from late March onward, with hopes for a price reduction effect.
(Japanese original by Satoshi Fukutomi, Business News Department; video by Kaho Kitayama, Photo Group)
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