By The Japan Times,Web Master

Copyright japantimes

Demand for staple rice in Japan is likely to total between 6.97 million and 7.11 million tons in the year through June 2026, down slightly or unchanged from the previous year’s real demand, the agriculture ministry said Friday.The ministry’s food council subgroup came up with the key one-year estimate about two months later than scheduled, as it had to make calculations under a new formula after the initial estimate and actual demand showed a wide difference a year earlier.The panel, which used to make staple rice demand projections in view of the shrinking population and rice consumption, has found it necessary to adopt a new calculation method so its estimate can also reflect increasing demand from foreign tourists and declining yields of polished rice caused by rising heat stress, among other factors.