Japan¡¯s average rice price hit a new record high since statistics began in March 2022, following a small decline, according to agriculture ministry data.
In the week ended last Sunday, the average price of rice sold at about 1,000 supermarkets across Japan rose by ?93 from the previous week to ?4,416 per 5 kilograms, the data released by the ministry Friday showed.
The average price fell by ?14 to ?4,323 in the week ended Dec. 28 last year.
In the latest reporting week, the price of ¡°brand rice,¡± primarily newly harvested rice, grew by ?21 to ?4,516. Brand rice accounted for 74% of total rice sales, up 2 percentage points.
The price of relatively cheap blended rice climbed by ?261, with the share of blended rice falling to 26%.
A separate survey of about 1,200 supermarkets showed that the average rice price went up ?291 to ?4,176.
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