Japan's rice exports rose 29.1 per cent to 6.46 billion yen ($44.4 million) during January-July, surpassing previous records, according to the agriculture ministry. The export volume also increased by 23 per cent, reaching 24,469 tons. While Japan's overall agricultural exports saw a slight decline of two per cent to 815.6 billion yen, the growth in rice exports is a notable achievement. Retail stores in Japan have reported shortages of rice, but these exports represent only a small fraction of the country's annual rice consumption, which stands at around seven million tons. Attribution: Xinhua Subediting: M. S. Salama
