Preliminary rice payment prices have fallen approximately 40% from last year, raising concerns among rice farmers in Niigata and Kochi prefectures about declining production and farmers leaving agriculture. As the government considers repurchasing stockpiled rice and introducing subsidies, the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and the future direction of agriculture have emerged as key issues.
Preliminary rice payment prices announced in Kochi and Niigata prefectures have fallen approximately 40% from last year, and farmers report a difficult sales environment. Inventories from last year, when prices were high, still remain, raising concerns that prices could fall even further when combined with the arrival of the new crop.
A male rice farmer in Niigata said that conventional sales methods centered on branding and safety need to be reconsidered, and discussed the need to reflect on having relied too heavily on agricultural cooperatives to sell small-scale farmers’ rice and to strengthen farmers’ own sales capabilities. High-cost investments in areas such as smart farming tend to be concentrated among large companies and agricultural corporations, and he indicated that making use of small-scale farmers, who account for approximately 30% of total production, will be key to sustainability. Government measures that could be envisaged include repurchasing stockpiled rice and introducing tax-related subsidies, although the difficulty of securing understanding among non-farmers was also highlighted.