The agriculture ministry plans to cease publishing its rice crop situation index, which has been used for almost seven decades, after farmers and retailers voiced concerns that government data is overstated, it said Monday.
The rice crop situation index — or the ratio of rice yield per 10 ares (1,000 square meters) to the average yield per 10 ares — shows the condition of the crop. For rice produced in 2024, the crop situation index was in the same range as previous years at 101, or 1% more rice crops than the average year, according to the agriculture ministry.
“Amid speculation from the public and farmers about the various data and statistics on rice, our ministry debated over what is really the best way to make revisions,” farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters, adding, “We’ve decided that to release the index will mean doing nothing about this inaccuracy.”
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