Japan Aims to Boost Rice Exports Nearly Eightfold by 2030 Amid Domestic Shortage
Japan is targeting an ambitious goal of increasing its rice exports by nearly eight times by 2030, despite facing a current shortage of the staple. According to Masakazu Kawaguchi, an agriculture ministry official in charge of rice trade, the country plans to increase rice exports to 350,000 tonnes by 2030, up from around 45,000 tonnes in 2024.
This target, which is expected to be approved by the cabinet later this month, reflects a long-term national policy aimed at both boosting overseas rice shipments and making rice farming more efficient, particularly as Japan’s aging population continues to shrink.
The proposed goal represents a 7.8-fold increase from the 2024 export volume, which amounted to approximately 45,000 tonnes valued at 12 billion yen ($81 million). This expansion of rice exports is part of broader efforts to adapt to shifting domestic consumption patterns, where rice consumption has more than halved over the last 60 years. As Japanese diets evolve to include more bread, noodles, and other energy sources, rice has become less central to the nation’s food culture.
Despite the ambitious export target, Japan is currently grappling with a significant rice shortage, which has prompted the government to initiate an emergency auction of its rice stockpiles this week. The aim is to alleviate the situation and bring down soaring prices, which have nearly doubled in the past year.
The shortage has been attributed to a range of factors, including poor harvests caused by extreme heat, panic-buying spurred by a “megaquake” warning last summer, and businesses hoarding rice to sell at higher prices when the market stabilizes.
