Japan PM apologizes, directs agriculture minister to resolve rice crisis

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has apologized for inappropriate remarks made by his agriculture minister amid soaring rice prices and supply shortages, but said the minister should remain in his post and provide a clear and effective solution to the crisis.

During a speech on accelerating the distribution of government stockpiled rice on Sunday, Agriculture Minister Taku Eto drew public backlash after saying: "I have never bought rice myself. Frankly, my supporters give me quite a lot of rice. I have so much rice in my pantry at home that I could sell it."

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Ishiba said the comments were deeply offensive to both consumers grappling with surging rice prices and farmers working hard to grow rice. He acknowledged his own responsibility as the one who appointed Eto and said the minister should sincerely apologize and deliver tangible results to stabilize rice prices.

Eto retracted his comment on Monday, saying that he buys rice regularly and apologized for the confusion caused. He acknowledged that his comment was inappropriate and showed a lack of consideration for consumers.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, rice prices rose again in the week through May 11, following a brief decline. The average price for a 5-kilogram bag of rice at roughly 1,000 supermarkets nationwide was 4,268 yen ($29.5), up 54 yen, or 1.3 percent, from the previous week — and more than double the 2,108 yen recorded during the same period last year.

The prior week marked the first price decline in 18 weeks, but sluggish sales of cheaper, government-released stockpiled rice triggered a renewed increase. Distribution delays may have also contributed to the rebound.

The ministry announced it would release an additional 300,000 metric tons of rice from its emergency reserves between May and July, adding to the 310,000 tons already released in March. It also intends to implement a new system that designates a portion of stockpiled rice for auction exclusively to distributors capable of promptly delivering it to retailers.

Meanwhile, opposition parties are escalating their criticism. Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, labelled Eto's remarks as insensitive and denounced the government's handling of the rice crisis. A senior member of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan said Eto is unfit to serve as minister in charge of rice issues, Nippon Television reported on Tuesday.

Contact the writers at jiangxueqing@chinadaily.com.cn