By SHO ITO/ Staff Writer

Once-soaring exports of rice and related products tapered off in 2025 as rising prices of the grain made the products less attractive overseas.

The volume of rice exports reached 48,192 tons in 2025, an increase of 3.7 percent over 2024, according to agriculture ministry trade statistics released on Feb. 3.

Rice exports had jumped by more than 20 percent in volume for three straight years to 2024.

“The surge in rice prices is likely the main factor behind the slackening of an increase in exports,” a high-ranking ministry official said. “At current prices, Japanese rice will not be accepted in foreign markets.”

In 2024, the total export volume for rice and related products was 46,472 tons, an increase of 21.8 percent over the previous year. The export value was 13.573 billion yen ($86.9 million), up by 29.5 percent.

In 2025, the export value was 15.91 billion yen, an increase of 17.2 percent.

The volume and value of rice exports in 2025 were both record highs.

The value rose at a greater pace than volume due to the high domestic price of rice.

In March 2025, the average price of a 5-kilogram bag of rice at about 1,000 supermarkets around Japan exceeded 4,000 yen, about double the price in March 2024.

The release of rice stored in government warehouses brought the rice price under 3,600 yen, but it again surpassed 4,000 yen from September.

The Cabinet in April 2025 approved a basic plan on food, agriculture and farm villages that set a goal of 353,000 tons of rice exports by 2030 and the value of rice exports set at 92.2 billion yen.

Those goals will be difficult to reach at the current pace.

But Norikazu Suzuki, the farm minister, said at his Feb. 3 news conference that the goals could be met if greater efforts were made to reach out to supermarkets in foreign nations.

Other farm ministry statistics released on Feb. 3 showed that the total value of exports was 1.7 trillion yen, an increase of 12.8 percent over 2024.

It was the 13 straight year for a record export value and reflected the continued popularity of Japanese cuisine abroad.

Exports of green tea doubled over the previous year.

Published Date: February 5, 2026