Japanese feed mills switch to corn

High rice prices and more affordable corn are driving grain imports to a six-year high.

Amid persistently high rice prices, Japanese feed producers are increasingly incorporating corn into their diets, according to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

FAS forecasts that corn imports will increase in the MY 2025–26 due to lower global prices. Corn incoming volumes are expected to reach 15.8 million tons, up 2.2% from the previous year and the highest level in six years.

At the same time, expected growth in domestic rice production will lead to a reduction in rice imports in 2025–26.

“Japan’s rice market has experienced significant disruptions following a shortage in the summer of 2024, which triggered a sharp and sustained price increase through 2025,” the FAS notes. “Continued high prices encouraged farmers to expand production, while retailers and the HoReCa segment increased rice imports beyond the volumes allowed by the state trading system. Strong demand for affordable rice led private imports to reach 88,706 tons in the first 11 months of the 2024-25 marketing year, accounting for 14% of total imports.”

Based on data from Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF), FAS forecasts a strong rice harvest in 2025-26, driven by increased planting area and higher yields. Table rice production is expected to reach 6.8 million tons, a 10% increase, while feed rice production is expected to decline by approximately half, to 240,000 tons.

Rice consumption in 2024-25 FAS estimates the market for table rice at 8.1 million tonnes, down 1.8% from 2023–24. Despite relative stability in table rice consumption, overall consumption continues to decline, primarily due to a 30% reduction in feed use of rice in the first 10 months of the current marketing year.

Tags: corn, Japan, compound feed