In reversal of 2025 fortunes, Japan rice farmers face falling prices as new harvest arrives

In a surprising turn of events for Japan's rice farmers, prices for new rice have begun to fall as the 2025 harvest is harvested and reaches supermarket and rice shop shelves. This development is welcome news for consumers, but it poses a significant challenge for rice farmers who have invested heavily in their crops. Nobuyuki Okada, a 41-year-old rice farmer in Sakura, Tochigi Prefecture, expressed his disappointment, stating that he lacks motivation to complete the harvest due to the drop in prices.

Okada has been cultivating various rice varieties, including Koshihikari for staple food, Niji no Kirameki for high yields, and Tochigi no Hoshi for heat resistance. He initially relied on the nationwide Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) to purchase his rice, but for the past decade, he has been selling directly to private wholesalers and rice stores.

During the severe rice shortage in 2024 and 2025, known as the Reiwa rice crisis, Okada received high prices for his rice, sometimes up to 35,000 yen per 60 kilograms, which was nearly double the usual price. However, this year, things have changed drastically. After several private wholesalers unilaterally informed him that they would no longer purchase rice, Okada turned to the local JA branch for assistance.

In April, he signed an advance contract with the JA branch to buy about 40 tons of Koshihikari, but the advance payment for the 2025 crop is now only about half of what it was previously. Despite this, Okada is not alone; many nearby farmers are facing similar challenges with unsold new rice. Many are considering quitting farming altogether, expressing their deep distrust in the government's inconsistent and farmer-unfriendly rice policies.