In response to soaring rice prices that have strained household budgets, the administration of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has tapped government reserves and indicated plans to review Japan's rice production policies.
Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi has signaled a bold shift in approach, suggesting that Japan may abandon its de facto policy of limiting the cultivation of its staple grain.
"Rather than continuing with agricultural policies that tell farmers not to produce, we intend to encourage them to grow more," Koizumi emphasized.
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