Japanese Minister resigns after reaction to rice remarks

Japanese Farm Minister Taka Ethata left the post on Wednesday, Reported about internal mediaAfter the public’s indignation about his comments before receiving free rice.

On Sunday, ETO said he never had to buy rice when he received a large amount of grain as gifts from fans – a comment that impressed the nerves with the locals fighting the missile prices.

Japan has been fighting rising rice prices for several months, like bad weather and long, which launches the country’s policy on the interests of local farmers.

Taku’s resignation comes at a time where minister shigeru isshiba’s government has been grappling with low ratings ahead of a Pivotal Upper House election this summer and onlying today World Reported That Former Environment Minister Koizumi Shinjiro will succeed eto.

The ISSHIBA Cabinet’s approval rating fell on Constantly a minimum of 27.4%As voters are increasingly growing because of the administration’s inability to decide rise in rice prices and refusing to reduce inflation, Kyodo News said on Sunday.

While the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture is trying to restrain the rise in prices by releasing Government reservesThis step has a slight effect when maintaining prices.

Prices for rice in approximately 1000 supermarkets It is reported that the country has risen all over the country, which ended on May 11. Prices for a 5-klogram rice bag grew by 54 years a week to 4268 yen ($ 29.63)

“After the rice deficit in Japan and subsequent high prices in the summer of 2024, prices continue to rise, despite the arrival of a new domestic harvest and import record,” the US Department of Agriculture said in a March report.

Spike at rice prices reflects the protracted consequences of bad yields last year, with the domestic consumption of rice to be more supported by local production rather than imports, said Asia’s chief economist Frederic Frederic Frederick.

Delivery problems are that the rice in Japan is produced mainly by the elderly people who run small farms, so they are not very effective, said the union of economics at the Kayo University Faculty, which added that the number of farmers also falls with aging population.

“Japanese as Japanese rice. They don’t like foreign rice,” she said. Japan’s rice economy remains quite isolated from the world market, with hard duties by imported rice aimed at protecting their rice farmers.

What else is worse, the demand for Japanese rice has flew off on the back of a tall tourist Depository, the professor noted.

A sharp increase in rice prices is also partially related to panic, which stores both households and enterprises, said Takuji Okuba, the chief economist of the Japanese forum at risk.

While some The retailers have announced plans to import riceAn unfamiliar with imported rice among consumers and businesses makes it unlike that such imports will greatly facilitate the imbalance of demand, he said CNBC.

Japan’s inflation It increased by 3.6% a year in March. Although the figure was lower than 3.7% in February, it still noted three years, that the title inflation remains over 2% of the Japanese Bank’s goal.

“This is very high in comparison with the US or Europe,” said Shira, who added that the picture of Japan’s inflation is more related to the cost of costs that are mostly obtained from food prices. “That’s why a lot of consumers are very evil,” he said.

In addition, the cheap yen also makes imports of food expensive, she said.

Japan imports about 60% of their dietAccording to the search and Data HUB TRIDGE. There is also a country Self -sufficiency Products 38%compared to Government target is 45% of financial 2030.