The Japan Minister of Agriculture resigned on Wednesday after “falling” and saying that it receives free rice in the sector’s crisis.
On Sunday, during a speech in the city of Saga, in southwest Japan, the Japanese Minister of Agriculture Taku Eto boasted “never buy rice” because it gets a lot from supporters.
“I have so much in my pantry that could sell, ”he said.
Eto made these statements, at a time of crisis due to the high price of this food and was rebuked by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Ishiba “scolded 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 measures.
Following criticism, Taku Eto fired.
Taku Eto’s resignation represents another setback, before this summer’s legislative elections, to the government of Shigero Ishiba, whose approval rate has been at the lowest level since taking office in 2024.
Minister admits lack of “purposes”
During a speech before the Japanese Parliament High Chamber Budget Committee, ETO admitted that the comment was “a mistake” And who had bought rice the week before in a supermarket, adding that “it 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 Wednesday.
“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.
Rice Crisis in Japan
O Rice price, basic food in Japan, doubled in the last yearforcing restaurants and consumers to look for alternatives and the government to free part of national reserves to try to stabilize prices.
O price increase reached 90% in 2024driven by the rise of demand in restaurants, due to the growth of tourism, but also by the “purchase for panic”, after the government issued a warning last summer about a possible mega earthquake.
Given this situation, the Japanese government has 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.
