Representational file photo.
Tokyo: The average price of rice sold at supermarkets across Japan continued to rise despite the circulation of government stockpiled rice, data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries showed Monday.
Average rice price for the week ending April 20 came in at 4,220 yen (about 29.48 U.S. dollars) per 5 kilograms, up by 3 yen from the previous week and marking the 16th consecutive week of price increases, the data showed.
The ministry monitors rice prices weekly based on data collected from around 1,000 supermarkets nationwide. Although the pace of price increases has slowed, the trend remains upward.
Compared to the same period last year, when the average rice price was 2,088 yen, the current price is more than double. Meanwhile, total rice sales volume has risen by approximately 14.9 percent from a year earlier.
The ministry attributes the continued price rise to consumers purchasing not only the relatively cheaper stockpiled rice but also regular, higher-priced rice.
Last week, the ministry conducted its third auction of stockpiled rice and plans to release more monthly until summer, aiming to stabilize prices.