By bno – Tokyo Office Japan is poised to produce 6.83mn tonnes of rice in 2024, outpacing the estimated demand of 6.74mn tonnes for the year ending next June, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. This forecast is particularly encouraging given the recent supply shortages and price surges attributed to extreme summer heat, which had significantly impacted the previous harvest, as reported by Kyodo News. Private-sector rice inventories are also expected to improve, rising to 1.62mn tonnes by the end of June 2025, up from an all-time low of 1.53mn tonnes the year befo…