Japan weighs doubling stockpiled rice release to rein in price surge

The Japanese government is considering roughly doubling the supply of stockpiled rice to about 600,000 tons, as rice prices remain at near record highs amid a shortfall, sources close to the matter said Thursday.The government is studying releasing 300,000 tons of reserve rice over three months through July, in addition to 321,000 tons auctioned in three tranches between March and April.If the government goes ahead with the additional release, its stockpile will be down to around 300,000 tons, about a third of what is generally regarded as the appropriate reserve level. That may raise conce…READ FULL ARTICLE