Agricultural cooperatives in Japan sold a record-low 1.32 million tons of rice from the 2025 harvest to wholesalers by the end of May. The farm ministry reported the figure on Tuesday, marking a 17 percent drop from the previous year. The decline reflects shifting demand toward cheaper stockpiled and imported rice.
The conventional distribution channel handled just under half of the 2025 harvest collected. Private-sector inventories rose 51 percent to 2.23 million tons by the end of May, nearing the record high from 2014.
Retail prices have fallen since the government began releasing stockpiled rice last year. The average price of a 5-kilogram bag dropped to 3,590 yen in the week ending June 21, down from a peak of 4,416 yen in late December 2025.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries had projected in March that inventories would reach 2.34 million tons by the end of June. The latest data still exceeds the recommended level of 1.8 million to 2.0 million tons.