Where Are Rice Trading Prices Now? | Reading MAFF’s Relative Transaction Prices

It is the season when freshly harvested rice appears in stores. Over the past two years or so, rice prices have been a major topic at the dining table. We will check the current level using the “relative transaction prices” published monthly by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

What are relative transaction prices?

Relative transaction prices are the prices at which rice for staple food is traded between shipping organizations such as agricultural cooperatives and wholesalers. The unit is per 60 kilograms of brown rice, and the price includes an amount equivalent to consumption tax, freight charges, and other costs. It is not the retail price itself, but it is used as a guide to understand price movements upstream in distribution.

Trends for rice produced in 2025

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the average across all brands of rice produced in 2025 was 36,895 yen in September 2025, when it first began circulating, and 37,058 yen in October. It then gradually declined, reaching 31,305 yen in June 2026, 32,486 yen in July, and 31,556 yen in August.

Relative transaction prices (average across all brands, per 60 kg of brown rice)
・September 2025 36,895 yen
・October 2025 37,058 yen
・June 2026 31,305 yen
・July 2026 32,486 yen
・August 2026 31,556 yen

How to read the figures

The figures for each month also vary depending on the composition of the brands and quantities traded during that month. It seems better to look at the trend over several months rather than focusing on month-to-month rises and falls. Although prices have declined from their peak in autumn 2025, they remain high compared with several years ago.

What about overall movements in household food expenses? The dining table with an Engel’s coefficient of 28.6% So, how is Japanese food spreading overseas? 181,000 Japanese restaurants overseas introduced here.

Reference: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, “Relative Transaction Prices and Quantities of Rice”

—The Value Village Editorial Team