Japan PM makes major policy shift to boost rice production

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced Tuesday a major shift in rice policy -- from curbing output to boosting it -- as Japan continues to grapple with shortages and associated high prices.Japan has already abolished its explicit policy of reducing rice production, which encouraged farmers not to cultivate some paddy fields. It has paid subsidies to farmers who grow other crops to keep total rice output in check and create price stability.As Cabinet ministers gathered at his office to review the findings of a government investigation into the recent surge in rice prices, Ishiba acknowledge…READ FULL ARTICLE