TOKYO –
Closures and bankruptcies amongst Japanese rice farmers are working at a file tempo in 2026, with 32 circumstances recorded from January by August as an getting older workforce, rising prices and falling rice costs make it more and more troublesome for producers to stay in enterprise.
According to Teikoku Databank, 32 rice farming companies both closed voluntarily or went bankrupt throughout the first eight months of 2026.
The variety of voluntary closures in 2026 might set a file for a fourth consecutive 12 months, with many farmers giving up agriculture due to getting older and better working prices.
Pressure on producers can be growing as private-sector rice inventories have risen to their highest degree on file, strengthening expectations that costs for the 2026 new rice crop will fall sharply.
Some farmers are saying that their companies are not financially viable as costs decline whereas prices stay excessive.
Teikoku Databank stated stabilizing the administration of rice farms, that are chargeable for sustaining a gentle provide of Japan’s staple meals, has turn into a key problem.
Source: FNN