Japan’s Minister of Agriculture fits up after saying that it receives free rice in the middle of the crisis-Observer

Japan’s Minister of Agriculture fired on Wednesday as a result of criticism for stating that he never buys rice because he is given to him by supporters, at a height of crisis due to the high price of this food.

Taku Eto’s resignation represents another setback, before this summer’s legislative elections, to the government of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, whose approval rate has been at the lowest level since taking office in 2024.

Ishiba appointed former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi to direct the agriculture folder.

The resignation arises after Ishiba came together with Eto on Tuesday, “rebuking him severely”-as the minister himself admitted-for his comments, asking him to reflect on “what happened” and strive to “Reduce rice prices” with a new package of measurements.

On Sunday, Eto said during a speech in the city of Saga, in southwest Japan, that “never buy rice” because it receives a lot of supporters. “I have so much in my pantry that I could sell,” he said.

During a speech to the Japanese Parliament High Chamber Budget Committee, Eto admitted that the comment was “a mistake” and had bought rice the week before in a supermarket, adding that “was inappropriate for those who are having difficulty acquiring it“.

Opposition parties had threatened to present a motion of censorship against the government if the minister did not fired on Tuesday. “I made an extremely inappropriate comment at a time when consumers are fighting the rice prices,” Eto told reporters after delivering the resignation.

“I thought it would not be appropriate to continue as a minister,” precisely when the government needs to face the challenges of the price of rice, justified Eto.

The price of rice, a basic food in Japan, doubled last year, forcing restaurants and consumers to look for alternatives and the government to release part of national reserves to try to stabilize prices.

The increase in prices reached 90% in 2024, driven by rising demand in restaurants, due to tourism growth, but also by “panic purchase”, after the government issued a warning last summer about a possible mega earthquake.

In the face of this situation, the Japanese government decided to free tons of rice reserves to the general market from March, Something unprecedented.

Japan created national rice reserves in 1995 after a serious cereal scarcity two years earlier due to an exceptionally cold summer. By year, the government stores about 200,000 tons to ensure emergency groceries.