Japan farm minister vows to halve prices as rice crisis drags on

Japan farm minister vows to halve prices as rice crisis drags on Japan farm minister vows to halve prices as rice crisis drags on

TOKYO –Japan’s newly appointed agriculture minister on Friday pledged to quickly bring down rice prices to 2,000 yen ($14) per 5 kilograms, promising relief to inflation-hit consumers.

The government will release government-stockpiled rice through no-bid contracts with major retailers, Shinjiro Koizumi said on public broadcaster NHK.