Japan ramps up rice imports from Taiwan
Japan's surging rice prices have been a boon for Taiwanese farmers, who are enjoying a surge in demand for their crop as a result.
On Monday, Taiwan's Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih attended a ceremonial event in Hsinchu City to mark a recent spike in shipments to Japan. Taking pride of place was a Japan-bound container packed with 100 tons of rice.
The Minister was eager to talk up the flavor of the locally grown grains: "I'd love for Japanese consumers to know about the high quality of the rice we grow in Taiwan. Hopefully it can take a bigger slice of the Japanese market."
Taiwan sent nearly 7,800 tons of rice to Japan from January to May. The agriculture ministry says that's already about double the amount for all of 2024. It expects shipments for this year to top 10,000 tons.
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