Editorial

15:26 JST, August 6, 2025

The government is set to revise its policy that in effect reduces rice paddy acreage and shift to increasing production. This is a decision that will transform the postwar agricultural policy on rice. It is hoped that the government will work to strengthen the production base so that the public can eat rice with peace of mind.

The government presented its reform plan for the rice policy at a meeting of relevant ministers on Aug. 5. “We will change course toward more rice production,” said Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, indicating that the government will take steps to revise the acreage reduction policy.

Under the agricultural policy since the 1970s, the government has maintained prices through production adjustments, reducing the amount of land on which rice is cultivated. Some have argued that this dampens the motivation of producers and weakens the production........

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