Tokyo, March 3 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government will auction off part of its rice stockpiles on March 10, the agriculture ministry said Monday.

The government last month decided to sell 210,000 tons out of its rice stockpiles to relieve distribution bottlenecks. To be put up in the first tender this time are 150,000 tons for sale to major rice dealers, on the condition that the government will buy back rice from successful bidders in the future.

The rice to be auctioned in the March 10 first round is likely to hit store shelves as early as late this month.

It is the first time that the government releases stockpiled rice to ensure smooth distribution. Previously, it limited releases to cases of serious poor harvests and large-scale disasters.

For the first batch of rice set for auction, the government has disclosed information such as the locations of storage warehouses, years of harvest, places of origin and brands. Masshigura from Aomori Prefecture, Haenuki from Yamagata Prefecture and Hitomebore from Miyagi Prefecture, all in northeastern Japan, are among the rice brands for sale.

Published Date: March 3, 2025