コメの民間在庫が「過去最大」に…　一転して“コメ余り”で売り場には「特売」の文字も　気になる新米価格、農家と消費者の「適正ライン」は【福岡】

On June 30th, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced that as of the end of May, private rice stocks for the 2025 harvest reached a record high of 2.23 million tons, matching the 2014 figure. However, sales volume was a record low of 1.32 million tons. In other words, there is a surplus of unsold rice. Possible reasons for this include demand shifting to government-released stockpiled rice, as well as consumers refraining from purchasing rice due to soaring prices and a general decline in rice consumption. Rice planting is currently underway throughout the prefecture. What will happen to rice prices in the future, and what will the price of the new harvest be? We interviewed consumers and producers to find out. A 400 yen price drop in two months At a discount store in Onojo City, Fukuoka Prefecture, approximately 15 varieties of rice, mainly from Fukuoka Prefecture, were lined up in the rice section. Prices were 3,562 yen for 5 kg of Fukuoka Prefecture-grown "Yumetsukushi" and 3,238 yen for "Genkitsukushi." Keisuke Maruyama, Public Relations, Mr. Max "I feel that we've started to see a gradual decline in prices since the beginning of this year." Looking at the average price of branded rice, it was 3,500 yen per 5 kg in April, but it fell to 3,100 yen in June, a decrease of 400 yen. The word "Special Sale" returns to the shelves. Furthermore, we've made a product that we hadn't been able to offer for two years: "Akisari," a branded rice from Hiroshima Prefecture, priced at 2,806 yen. The price tag reads "Price Reduction"! That's right, it's a "Special Sale." Keisuke Maruyama, Public Relations, Mr. Max "Our purchasing buyers maintain close communication with wholesalers nationwide, so when we get information about bargain items, we're able to purchase them and offer special sales." Q. What price would you consider a "bargain" now? Shopper: "Around 3000 yen. I don't think it'll go back down to 1980 yen." Shopper: "I'm happy (that the price has dropped), but I think farmers probably want it to stay around 3500 yen. If it goes any cheaper than that, we might not be able to eat rice anymore." According to Mr. Max, future prices will depend on the trends of the new rice harvest in the fall, so it's still impossible to predict. "Last year was too expensive," say farmers, wary of rice surplus. Meanwhile, in Ukiha City, Fukuoka Prefecture, seedlings of the "Yumetsukushi" rice variety were being planted that day. The rice planting is being carried out by "Agri Furukawa," an agricultural corporation where 60 farmers jointly manage 25 hectares of rice paddies. Farmer: "It feels like (rice planting) has started again. It's nice that the weather is good today." The 2025 harvest is projected at 105 tons. Due to the continued high demand from the previous year, the price reached a high average of 31,000 yen per 60 kg, approximately 40% higher than the previous year. However, he says that prices in 2026 cannot be expected to be the same as in 2025. Naoyuki Deriha of Agri Furukawa: "I often hear that there is a surplus of rice, so I think prices will probably settle down considerably compared to last year and the year before. From a farmer's perspective, it was a welcome price, but I feel it was a little too high." Deriha is concerned about a price drop due to the rice surplus. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the amount of privately held stock of 2025 rice as of the end of May is the largest ever. Furthermore, the production of 2026 rice is projected to reach a maximum of 7.32 million tons, exceeding demand. JA: "We can't determine the price"—What is the "fair price" for farmers and consumers? What will the price of new rice in 2026 be? At a press conference on the 1st, JA Group Fukuoka pointed to the impact of the large remaining stock of 2025 rice on the price of new rice. Regarding the "minimum guaranteed price" for rice in 2026, they explained that "the amount cannot be determined at this time" because price negotiations with wholesalers have not progressed. Furthermore... Hidenori Migita, Chairman of the Management Committee, JA Zen-Noh Fukuren "We would prefer that rice prices for producers not plummet. We are currently working hard to achieve a rice price that allows producers to make a decent living and consumers to enjoy delicious rice from Fukuoka Prefecture." Amid rising costs due to the weak yen and the situation in the Middle East, what is a reasonable price guideline that would allow farmers to continue rice cultivation? Naoyuki Deriha, Agri Furukawa "I think around 3,000 yen for 5 kg would be just right. If the price is too low, farmers will lose their motivation to continue. If the price is too low, they will wonder why they are growing rice in the first place." For more details, see NEWS DIG! ↓ https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/...