TOME, Feb. 24 ― A farmers’ cooperative in Miyagi prefecture has set a target to more than double its rice exports this year in a bid to boost rice growers’ incomes.
JA Miyagi Tome said it aims to export 2,000 metric tons this year from the current level of 938 metric tons, which is one of the highest level of shipments among Japanese rice growing regions.
JA Miyagi Tome highlights Hong Kong and Taiwan as major destinations, but it said it will export to Australia and Singapore as well.
The new target comes as Japan faces shrinking domestic demand for rice posed by a rapidly ageing and declining population with low birth rates. Japan has set a target of 1 trillion yen in agricultural exports in 2019.