Rice Released from Japan Govt Stockpiles in Stores Soon

Tokyo, March 26 (Jiji Press)--Major Japanese agricultural and consumer cooperatives are starting shipping rice released by the government to curb soaring prices.

Rice released from the government's stockpiles will be available in stores as early as the end of this month, an official of the Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union, or JCCU, said Wednesday.

Zen-Noh Pearl Rice Co., part of the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations, or Zen-Noh, has already started shipping.

The JCCU will ship the stockpiled rice to 10 co-ops in the Tokyo and Osaka areas. Its prices are expected to be below 4,000 yen per 5 kilograms, lower than current levels. The group does not plan to label the new supply as "stockpiled rice."

Zen-Noh Pearl Rice started shipping the stockpiled rice to some customers in the Tokyo area last week.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]