The price of rice in Japan has doubled from last year to 4 280 yen per 5-kilogram bag. The sharp price jump is due to a supply shortage that began in 2023 due to abnormal heat, Yahoo Finance reports.
Extremely high temperatures not only reduced the quality of the harvest, but also critically reduced the production volumes of the main food product. The government was forced to use strategic state reserves to stabilize the market.
Queues for hours are forming at retail outlets for reserve rice, with some customers taking their places from the previous evening. In the capital's supermarkets, rationing has been introduced - no more than one bag per family per day.
