As the September harvest of Koshihikari rice approaches, JA Fukui has decided to significantly increase the advance payments, known as “gaisan-kin,” to rice producers, with the amount for Koshihikari rising to 29,000 yen per 60 kilograms—1.7 times higher than in 2024. Payments for other brand rice varieties such as Hanaechizen and Ichihomare are also seeing large increases, suggesting that prices of new rice from the prefecture will remain high.
This decision was reached during a special board meeting on August 18. The reasons provided by JA Fukui include adverse weather conditions like heat damage and water shortages reducing crop quality and production, rising rice market prices driven by private traders, and no government release of reserve rice to stabilize prices.
The board also decided to raise Ichihomare’s advance payment by 11,800 yen to 30,400 yen and to increase the previously set payment for early-season Hanaechizen by 5,000 yen to 28,000 yen.
JA Fukui’s significant hike in advance payments is part of a strategy to remain competitive amid an intensified scramble for new rice among private traders, especially with concerns over crop conditions growing due to record-high temperatures exceeding the association’s expectations.
by MagazineKey4532