The idea that young people are turning away from rice is a big mistake．．．The people who have stopped eating rice the most are “elderly people over 60 years old．”
The “Reiwa rice riots” occurred this summer. Although new rice has been released and the situation of supermarket shelves being stocked with rice has been resolved, rice prices remain high. The possibility of a rice shortage occurring again cannot be denied because serious issues surrounding rice are being ignored. In the paid version, “The real causes of the Reiwa rice turmoil are ‘bias towards Koshihikari varieties’ and ‘failure of rice production reduction policies’… What are the cutting-edge efforts to break through the stagnant rice administration?”, we discussed the true causes of the rice shortage, but the issues surrounding rice are not limited to this. We spoke to Hitoshi Aoyagi, professor emeritus at Niigata University, who specializes in agricultural economics and is knowledgeable about rice consumption trends. [Yamaguchi Ryoko/Journalist] One of the factors that led to the rice shortage is the so-called “rice production reduction policy.” In order to maintain rice prices, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has calculated the amount of demand for one year and has restricted production so that it does not exceed that amount. It is, in a sense, a nation-wide production cartel. The ministry calculates the “appropriate production volume” each year, citing factors such as a declining population and the fact that demand for rice is falling at a rate of 100,000 tons per year. When it comes to rice for the 2023 crop, actual demand far exceeded that, resulting in a shortage. “It’s impossible to perfectly predict demand,” Aoyagi points out. Although demand is on a downward trend, it is fluctuating like a sawtooth in response to changes in eating habits and trends in rice prices (Figure). It’s the middle-aged and elderly who are reducing rice consumption. In 2021, Aoyagi published “Changes and Prospects in Rice Consumption: From an Analysis of Consumption Since 2000” (Tsukuba Shobo), in which he analyzed the decline in rice consumption. What he discovered was the falsehood of some of the rumors commonly spread in the American industry. The reason is that young people have stopped eating rice. The reality is the opposite. The analysis used data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s National Health and Nutrition Survey, which looked at the amount of calories consumed by each person per day. Looking at rice-based dishes, including “meshi” and “onigiri,” there was a large difference in the decline in consumption between generations, especially after 2001. “Teenagers in their late teens eat the most rice, and the consumption volume for this generation has not changed. Those in their 20s and 30s are either remaining flat or declining slightly. We found that the decline in consumption since 2001 has been led by the middle-aged and elderly.” Furthermore, looking at the period since 2010, it was the elderly age group aged 60 and over who saw the biggest decline in consumption. During this period, demand for rice has fallen by more than 1 million tons. It was actually the people who said, “Young people these days…” who were causing the problem. (Source: Daily Shincho, published on 11/11 (Mon) 11:10, “Young people are turning away from rice” is a big mistake… The people who are eating less rice the most are “elderly people over 60 years old” Why is the demand for rice falling at a rate of “100,000 tons per year”? 2024/11/12 (Tue) 19:05:18.15.
>>1 It’s too expensive These ridiculously high prices for rice have made me get into the habit of eating bread Not only is it cheap, but it’s convenient because you can buy it and eat it whenever you want for a few days You can’t eat rice unless it’s cooked, and if it is cooked it doesn’t last for days People will move away from rice at an accelerated rate They got what they deserve by selling it at such a ridiculously high price.
Young people are short because they only eat rice. The data proves it. The booby in East Asia is Japan, and of course North Korea at the bottom. The top two are China and South Korea.
>>35 That may be true. These days, people in their 60s and 70s eat bread for school lunches, so their diet is obviously different from that of people in their 60s and 70s 20 years ago.
I went to the supermarket today and 10kg of rice was 6000 yen including tax. Last year I could buy it for around 3000 yen. This country is crazy. They’re doubling the price of staple foods and killing the people.
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