Japan retail rice price hits record high since gov't release eased

The average price of rice sold at supermarkets across Japan reached a record 4,444 yen ($28) per 5 kilograms, the farm ministry said Friday, extending an uptrend intact following a respite after the government's release of emergency stockpiles.The figure for the seven days through Sunday marked a rise of 116 yen from a week earlier, the sixth consecutive weekly increase. It surpassed previous highs seen before the government sold its rice reserved for emergency use in the hope of lowering retail prices of the staple crop.The survey by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries cove…READ FULL ARTICLE