Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will not dismiss agriculture minister Taku Eto over a recent gaffe in which he commented about never having bought rice because he received a lot of it from his supporters.

"The agriculture minister's current job is to give a solution to soaring rice prices, and I want him to do that," Ishiba told reporters at the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday.

Ishiba said he feels a strong sense of responsibility over the fiasco because it was he who appointed Eto as agriculture minister.

Eto himself has expressed his hopes of being "allowed to work until I can fulfill my responsibility" in releasing government-stockpiled rice to bring down high prices caused by a supply shortage.

Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama has extended an apology to Makoto Nishida, his counterpart in Komeito, the LDP's junior coalition partner. Nishida had complained about Eto's gaffe and asked the agriculture minister to be careful with his words since rice is a major issue of concern to the public.

Eto made the remarks in question during an event in the city of Saga on Sunday. He reportedly said that he had never bought rice because his supporters gave him so much that he had enough to sell it.

Ishiba summoned Eto to his office on Monday and gave him a stern warning. The agriculture minister then retracted his remarks and made a public apology.