Overview

• Price checks on August 20 found 5 kg bags of Miyazaki-grown Koshihikari in Fukuoka supermarkets at ¥4,190–¥5,162, with some stores roughly 1.5 times last year’s levels.
• JA organizations sharply increased advance payments per 60 kg, including JA Kochi’s +49% to ¥22,000, JA Zen-Noh Niigata’s +76% to ¥30,000, JA Zen-Noh Yamagata’s +59% to ¥31,000, and JA Fukui’s revision to ¥28,000 (+75%).
• Extreme heat and sparse rain during ripening led to visible high-temperature damage, with Niigata’s very-early ‘Hazuki Minori’ judged entirely 2nd-class at its first inspection despite a taste score of 78 points.
• In the JA Joso Hikari area of Ibaraki, the share of 1st‑grade Koshihikari fell from 14.7% (2022) to 2.1% (2023) and dropped to 0% for the 2024 crop, underscoring income pressure tied to grading.
• Nationally, the average supermarket price was ¥3,737 per 5 kg in August 4–10, ¥1,140 higher than a year earlier, while retailers and wholesalers report tight procurement and expect branded rice to stay above ¥4,000.