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"Hina" dolls of 2025 newsmakers

Photo taken in Tokyo on Nov. 27, 2025, shows "hina" traditional dolls depicting a recent rice price hike, unveiled by a local doll maker as one of a series of dolls modeled after newsmakers of 2025.

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"Hina" dolls of 2025 newsmakers

Photo taken in Tokyo on Nov. 27, 2025, shows "hina" traditional dolls depicting a recent rice price hike, unveiled by a local doll maker as one of a series of dolls modeled after newsmakers of 2025.

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China: Black Swan Seen Scooping Leaves in Reverse at Zhaotong University

On November 15, 2025, in Zhaotong, Yunnan, a video captured the unusual sight of a black swan at Zhaotong University moving backward across a pond while repeatedly scooping leaves toward the shore.

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Rice prices surging in Japan

Photo taken on Feb. 21, 2025, shows bags of rice on sale at a vegetable store in Tokyo. Consumer price data the government released the same day showed rice prices surged over 70 percent in January from a year earlier.

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China January CPI

Customers buy glutinous rice balls at a supermarket in Handan, North China's Hebei province, Feb 9, 2025. The consumer price index (CPI) rose 0.5 percent year-on-year and 0.7 percent month-on-month in January, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Feb. 9.

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Rice price futures index's listing

OSAKA, Japan, Aug. 20 Kyodo - SBI Holdings Inc. CEO Yoshitaka Kitao, Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura, Kansai Economic Federation Chairman Masayoshi Matsumoto, Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama and Osaka Dojima Exchange Inc. President Wataru Ariga pose for a photo in the western Japan city of Osaka on Aug. 20, 2024, in a ceremony marking the listing a week before of a Japanese rice price futures index on the Osaka Dojima Exchange. (Kyodo)

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Rice price futures index's listing

Osaka Dojima Exchange Inc. President Wataru Ariga speaks in Osaka on Aug. 20, 2024, during a ceremony marking the listing a week before of a Japanese rice price futures index on the western Japan exchange.

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Rice price futures index's listing

Osaka Dojima Exchange Inc. President Wataru Ariga speaks in Osaka on Aug. 20, 2024, during a ceremony marking the listing a week before of a Japanese rice price futures index on the western Japan exchange.

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Rice price futures index's listing

SBI Holdings Inc. CEO Yoshitaka Kitao speaks in the western Japan city of Osaka on Aug. 20, 2024, in a ceremony marking the listing a week before of a Japanese rice price futures index on the Osaka Dojima Exchange.

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Rice price futures index's listing

Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura speaks in the western Japan city of Osaka on Aug. 20, 2024, in a ceremony marking the listing a week before of a Japanese rice price futures index on the Osaka Dojima Exchange.

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Rice price futures index's listing

(from L) SBI Holdings Inc. CEO Yoshitaka Kitao, Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura, Kansai Economic Federation Chairman Masayoshi Matsumoto, Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama and Osaka Dojima Exchange Inc. President Wataru Ariga pose for a photo in the western Japan city of Osaka on Aug. 20, 2024, in a ceremony marking the listing a week before of a Japanese rice price futures index on the Osaka Dojima Exchange.

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Rice price futures index's listing

(from L) SBI Holdings Inc. CEO Yoshitaka Kitao, Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura, Kansai Economic Federation Chairman Masayoshi Matsumoto, Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama and Osaka Dojima Exchange Inc. President Wataru Ariga break a sake cask in the western Japan city of Osaka on Aug. 20, 2024, in a ceremony marking the listing a week before of a Japanese rice price futures index on the Osaka Dojima Exchange.

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Egypt's strategic wheat reserve sufficient for 5.3 months: minister

STORY: Egypt's strategic wheat reserve sufficient for 5.3 months: minister SHOOTING TIME: Archives DATELINE: May 29, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:06 LOCATION: Cairo CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Egyptian Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Ali Moselhi speaking (File) 2. various of wheat, sugar and oil STORYLINE: Egyptian Supply and Internal Trade Minister Ali Moselhi said on Tuesday that the country's strategic reserve of wheat is enough to last for 5.3 months, while sugar reserves are sufficient until February 2025. The minister added that oil reserves are sufficient for 6.2 months, and rice and pasta for two months. Egypt, the world's largest wheat importer, suffers from global supply chain interruptions and price hikes due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The country imports two-thirds of its annual consumption of 18 million tonnes of wheat, according to the state-run Ahram newspaper. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Cairo. (XHTV)

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PHILIPPINES-RICE PRICE-INCREASE

(230906) -- QUEZON CITY, Sept. 6, 2023 (Xinhua) -- A vendor sells rice at a market in Quezon City, the Philippines on Sept. 6, 2023. In the Philippines, the price of rice has sharply increased over the past weeks, rice inflation increased to 8.7 percent in August from 4.2 percent in July. TO GO WITH "Feature: Philippines struggling to tame soaring rice prices" (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

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PHILIPPINES-RICE PRICE-INCREASE

(230906) -- QUEZON CITY, Sept. 6, 2023 (Xinhua) -- A vendor sells rice at a market in Quezon City, the Philippines on Sept. 6, 2023. In the Philippines, the price of rice has sharply increased over the past weeks, rice inflation increased to 8.7 percent in August from 4.2 percent in July. TO GO WITH "Feature: Philippines struggling to tame soaring rice prices" (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

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India bans exports of white rice variety to meet domestic demand

STORY: India bans exports of white rice variety to meet domestic demand DATELINE: July 21, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:42 LOCATION: New Delhi CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of India gate 2. various of Govt. building 3. various of rice field 4. various of rice wholesale market 5. various of types of rice 6. various of export containers STORYLINE: The Indian government on Thursday announced a ban on exports of a particular variety of white rice to ensure its adequate availability and allay price rise in the domestic market. According to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the ban on exports of non-basmati white rice would immediately come into force. "The domestic prices of rice are on an increasing trend. The retail prices have increased by 11.5 percent over a year and 3 percent over the past month," said the statement. An export duty of 20 percent on the rice was imposed in September 2022 to ensure its availability in the domestic market. Howeve

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Myanmar farmers have high hopes for monsoon harvest

STORY: Myanmar farmers have high hopes for monsoon harvest DATELINE: July 14, 2023 LENGTH: 00:02:31 LOCATION: YANGON, Myanmar CATEGORY: AGRICULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of farmers working in the field in the Bago Region 2. various of farmers planting paddy seedlings in Yangon STORYLINE: Motivated by a significant increase in profits from last year's harvest, Myanmar rice farmers began to prepare for growing paddy in rain-fed fields in July. According to farmers, the paddy price reached approximately 1.6 million kyats per 100 baskets (4,600 pounds), compared to around 600,000 kyats per 100 baskets recorded in the same period of the previous year. Meanwhile, farmers are also expected to benefit from lower costs as this year's rice plantation season came with decreased input prices. The price of diesel fuel for agricultural machinery has decreased to 8,000 kyats per gallon, a drop from the 12,000 kyats recorded last year, while fertilizer prices have declined from over 100,000 kyats to 80,000 k

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World food prices continue to fall in June: FAO

STORY: World food prices continue to fall in June: FAO DATELINE: July 10, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:56 LOCATION: Rome CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of food in a supermarket STORYLINE: The world Food Price Index of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) continued to fall in June, with the downward trend being driven by a drop in the prices of sugar, vegetable oils, cereals and dairy products, the organization said Friday. The index, which tracks the most globally-traded food commodities, averaged 122.3 points in June, and it is now 23.4 percent below an all-time peak reached in March 2022. In June, the index slipped by 1.4 percent compared to May. Four of its five sub-components dropped in June, while the fifth -- measuring meat prices - stayed almost level compared to May. The prices of grains and cereals, which have the biggest weight in the index, were down 2.1 percent compared to a month earlier, with wheat, corn, rice, barley and sorghum prices all declining compared to May, as

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Impoverished Afghan children further suffering due to U.S. sanctions

STORY: Impoverished Afghan children further suffering due to U.S. sanctions DATELINE: June 3, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:47 LOCATION: Kabul CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Kabul and a makeshift camp in Kabul 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Dari): NAWID, Local child 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Dari): LAILA, Nawid's mother 4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Pashto): ASSADULLAH, Local child 5. SOUNDBITE 4 (Pashto): TAWS KHAN, Head of a makeshift camp STORYLINE: In war-torn Afghanistan, countless children have been working on the streets from dusk until dawn to support their impoverished families. SOUNDBITE 1 (Dari): NAWID, Afghan child "I go to sell shopping bags every day. If I earn some money, I will bring home some food." SOUNDBITE 2 (Dari): LAILA, Nawid's mother "The prices of basic goods were low in the past. The price of 1 kg of cooking oil was 50 Afghani but now it costs 150 Afghani (about 1.7 U.S. dollars), and the prices of flour and rice have also gone up. We always go to the bazaar and return home empty-handed." Thousands of Afghans had be

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World food prices decline for 12th consecutive month: FAO

STORY: World food prices decline for 12th consecutive month: FAO DATELINE: April 8, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:47 LOCATION: Rome CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of food in markets 2. various of restaurants in Rome STORYLINE: World food prices declined for the 12th consecutive month in March, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported on Friday. It was the first time the index has fallen for a full year. FAO's broad Food Price Index slipped 2.1 percent in March, and it is now down 20.5 percent since reaching its all-time peak a year ago after a big surge following the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Grains and cereals, the largest component in the index, was down 5.6 percent compared to the previous month and down 18.6 percent over the last 12 months. Among grains and cereals, wheat prices fell the most, dipping 7.1 percent as exports from Ukraine via the Black Sea assuaged market fears. Corn prices were 4.6 percent lower due to strong production in South America, while rice prices were

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MYANMAR-YANGON-DUCK FARM

(230304) -- YANGON, March 4, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on March 3, 2023 shows a flock of ducks in Taikkyi township of Yangon, Myanmar. TO GO WITH "Myanmar's poultry business suffers broken rice price hike" (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

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Myanmar's poultry business suffers broken rice price hike

STORY: Myanmar's poultry business suffers broken rice price hike DATELINE: March 4, 2023 LENGTH: 00:04:09 LOCATION: YANGON, Myanmar CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the duck farm in Taikkyi township of Yangon region 2. various of ducks in the fields STORYLINE: Burmese layer ducks farm owners face loss due to the rocketing feed price. The fishery sector is also facing the burden of high feed costs. Entrepreneurs have requested government efforts on the price stability of raw materials. Layer ducks farm owner Ko Naing from Yangon Region put his ducks up for sale at 5,000 kyats (about 2.38 U.S. dollars) per head for an outright sale. "The feed cost is exorbitantly high. The price of broken rice as animal feed went up 33 percent. Besides, the production rate has declined," he said. "The quality of the feed is changed to an inferior state. Although the layer ducks fed well, the egg production plunged compared to the previous record," added another duck farmer Ko Kyaw Swar. Meanwhile, the price of d

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Egypt to set "fair price" for basic goods

STORY: Egypt to set "fair price" for basic goods DATELINE: Dec. 19, 2022 LENGTH: 00:00:57 LOCATION: Cairo CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the exterior of Egypt's Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade in Cairo 2. Egypt's Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Ali al-Moselhy accepting media interview 3. various of goods in a supermarket and customers doing shopping STORYLINE: Egypt's Supply and Internal Trade Ministry said on Sunday it had formed a committee to set "fair price" for 10-15 strategic and basic commodities after annual inflation reached five-year highs. While the statement said prices were not compulsory except for rice, it stated there would be inspections of stores across the country and possible legal action against those who do not adhere to the prices. Egypt's annual headline inflation hit 18.7 percent in November, according to official data, while core inflation, which strips out more volatile items, reached 21.5 percent. On Friday, the International Monetary Fund approved a 46

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1st batch of Japanese rice sold out in Beijing

BEIJING, China - The first batch of Japanese rice which hit store shelves in Beijing for the first time in four years last month has sold out, despite being about 20 times the price of normal rice in the country, stores that sold the rice said Aug. 13. Photo shows only a few Japanese rice bags (front) left for sale at a supermarket chain store in Beijing on Aug. 12.

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Yoshinoya raises prices of 'gyudon' beef and rice

TOKYO, Japan - A worker at a restaurant of the Yoshinoya "gyudon" beef rice bowl chain in the Yurakucho shopping district in Tokyo replaces price lists on Dec. 17, 2014, to reflect price increases.

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Yoshinoya to cut "gyudon" prices

TOKYO, Japan - Photo shows Yoshinoya's regular "gyudon" beef and rice bowl in Tokyo on April 10, 2013. Yoshinoya Holdings Co. said the same day it will cut gyudon prices on April 18 in response to the relaxation in February of restrictions on beef imports from the United States. The regular gyudon bowl price will be lowered by 100 yen to 280 yen.

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Yoshinoya cuts price of beef-and-rice bowl

TOKYO, Japan - One of outlets in Tokyo of Yoshinoya D&C Co., Japan's largest operator of restaurants serving ''gyudon'' -- rice topped with seasoned beef -- puts up a banner August 1 showing it has cut the price of its regular-size gyudon to 280 yen from 400 yen. The company said it introduced the price cut at 424 outlets in eastern Japan after a similar cut at 365 outlets in western Japan on July 26.

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Inflation in Laos surges to new high in October

STORY: Inflation in Laos surges to new high in October DATELINE: Nov. 9, 2022 LENGTH: 0:02:37 LOCATION: Vientiane CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the road 2. various of the market STORYLINE: Laos recorded the highest year-on-year inflation rate at 36.75 percent in October, up from 34 percent in September, according to the latest report from the Lao Statistics Bureau. These figures represent a significant increase since the beginning of 2022, with rising prices continuing to inflict hardship on people struggling to earn a living. According to the report released on Saturday from the Lao Statistics Bureau website, the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages has surged by 38.8 percent year on year, driven by the rising price of rice and other daily food items such as pork, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, vegetable oil, fruit, and vegetables. Commercial transport and delivery charges rose by 58.1 percent compared to the previous month, especially for fuel, which was recorded at 95 percent in Octob

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France sees rice shortage as rice-producing countries in Asia experience bad harvest

STORY: France sees rice shortage as rice-producing countries in Asia experience bad harvest DATELINE: Oct. 24, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:47 LOCATION: LYON, France CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of rice in supermarkets 2. various of rice-cooking 3. various of cooked rice STORYLINE: After shortages of mustard oil and sunflower oil, France is facing a new wave of shortage in rice as some Asian countries are experiencing a bad year for the rice harvest. Unfavorable climate conditions have destroyed some 250,000 tons of rice in India and Pakistan. To ensure sufficient supply in the domestic market, India, the source of 40 percent of rice on the world market, has implemented a 20 percent tax on the export of rice. As a result, the price of rice, which has already increased by more than 10 percent in one year in France, may still climb. In France, nearly 200,000 tons of rice are imported each year. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lyon, France. (XHTV)

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Egypt requires rice farmers to deliver one ton per feddan

STORY: Egypt requires rice farmers to deliver one ton per feddan DATELINE: Oct. 12, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:53 LOCATION: Cairo CATEGORY: AGRICULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of Kafr El Sheikh Rice Mill 2. various of pick-ups carrying rice 3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): EMAD HABIB, Supply Ministry Undersecretary in Kafr El Sheikh STORYLINE: Some 1.4 million feddans (1 feddan equals to about 0.42 hectares) of rice were planted in Egypt this year, up from 1.1 million feddans last year. The rice harvest season began in September. A price hike in rice was due to unfortunate practices on the part of some barley and rice producers, with some rice mills and traders, who unjustifiably are stocking up on the crops. Therefore, the government has made it mandatory for rice farmers to deliver a certain amount of the crop per feddan cultivated with rice. Farmers failing to deliver can be fined and denied subsidies. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): EMAD HABIB, Supply Ministry Undersecretary in Kafr El Sheikh "This year, rice supply is obligatory

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Indonesia records highest inflation since 2014

STORY: Indonesia records highest inflation since 2014 DATELINE: Oct. 3, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:36 LOCATION: Jakarta CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of press conference of Statistics Indonesia 2. various of gas station 3. SOUNDBITE (Bahasa Indonesia): MARGO YUWONO, Head of the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) STORYLINE: Indonesia's inflation in September reached 1.17 percent, the highest since December 2014, as a result of fuel price hikes in the country, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) said on Monday. The annual inflation rate rose to 5.95 percent year on year. "The surge in inflation was mainly caused by the increase in fuel prices, which then created higher tariffs for public transportation, the rates of online taxis, and the rice prices," BPS head Margo Yuwono told a press conference. Since September, Indonesia has increased its domestic fuel prices by 30 percent following fiscal pressures. The price of Pertalite gasoline, the country's most consumed type, has been raised to 10,000 rupiahs (0.65 dollar) a l

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Myanmar's traders lower rice price to reduce household spending amid pandemic

STORY: Myanmar's traders lower rice price to reduce household spending amid pandemic DATELINE: Aug. 4, 2022 LENGTH: 00:03:47 LOCATION: YANGON, Myanmar CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of rice trading market 2. various of people buying rice 3. various of taking rice home STORYLINE: Myanmar's rice producers and traders have retailed rice at lower prices in the country's commercial hub of Yangon starting from Wednesday as food prices are soaring. In the commercial hub Yangon, the price of Emata rice, or the Myanmar long grain rice, a staple food for locals, and the special groundnut oil increased by about 5.8 percent and 6.4 percent on Wednesday respectively, compared to a week earlier, showed the Central Statistical Organization (CSO)'s data. Although Myanmar is an agricultural country and a rice exporter, commodity prices including that of rice are on rise amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The lower-priced rice sale is aimed at helping households in the country reduce their spending on rice as commodity

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SOUTH KOREA-SEOUL-EATING-OUT PRICE-RISE

(220718) -- SEOUL, July 18, 2022 (Xinhua) -- Photo taken on July 9, 2022 shows frozen pan-fried rice at a supermarket in Goyang, South Korea. According to government data, the average price of eating-out in the first half of this year was up 6.7 percent from the same period last year. (Xinhua/Wang Yiliang)

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Vietnamese celebrate traditional festival amid goods price hike

STORY: Vietnamese celebrate traditional festival amid goods price hike DATELINE: June 5, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:54 LOCATION: Hanoi CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of Thanh Cong Market, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi, Vietnam 2. various of retailers busy preparing foods 3. various of a family making ceremonial offerings and enjoying foods STORYLINE: Sitting in a 4-square meter room of a boarding house with sheet metal rooftops, kidney patient Nguyen Thi Oanh was enjoying a bowl of fermented sticky rice on a scorching summer day. The fermented sticky rice the middle-aged woman was eating is the most typical dish of "Doan Ngo" (Duanwu in Chinese) Festival, also known as Double Fifth or Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in Vietnam. It is similar to the Chinese dish Jiuniang, a mixture of partially digested rice grains floating in a sweet saccharified liquid, with small amounts of alcohol and lactic acid. Oanh, born in the northern province of Hai Duong, has rented a room

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VIETNAM-HANOI-DOAN NGO FESTIVAL

(220604) -- HANOI, June 4, 2022 (Xinhua) -- A woman buys fermented sticky rice for the "Doan Ngo" (Duanwu in Chinese) Festival in Hanoi, Vietnam, June 3, 2022. TO GO WITH "Vietnamese cling on traditional festival amid goods price hike" (Photo by Nguyen Ha Le/Xinhua)

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Senegalese suffer from rising food prices during Ramadan

STORY: Senegalese suffer from rising food prices during Ramadan DATELINE: April 16, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:50 LOCATION: Dakar CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of street views of Dakar 2. STANDUP (English): WANG ZIZHENG, Xinhua correspondent 3. SOUNDBITE (Senegalese): FATOU NIANG, Vendor of a fruit stand in Dakar, Senegal 4. SOUNDBITE (Senegalese): OUSMANE KANE, Consumer STORYLINE: STANDUP (English): WANG ZIZHENG, Xinhua correspondent "The energy and food prices in many African countries have continued to rise recently. People feel real pressure of rising prices during Ramadan. In Senegalese capital Dakar, many people complained that prices had risen too much, especially during Ramadan, when food consumption increases. People have also expressed their hope that the government can do more to curb the increase of price. The Senegalese President Macky Sall decided to cut prices for daily necessities such as oil, rice and sugar at the end of February, but this still failed to prevent price increases. He also

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Tunisia bans exports of fruits, vegetables to curb rising prices

STORY: Tunisia bans exports of fruits, vegetables to curb rising prices DATELINE: April 13, 2022 LENGTH: 0:01:23 LOCATION: Tunis CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of a supermarket in Tunis STORYLINE: Tunisian government decided to ban the exports of some vegetables and fruits in order to stabilize domestic prices, according to a statement from the Tunisian Commerce Ministry issued on Tuesday. The statement said that due to the rapid rise in the price of some food products in Tunisia recently, the Tunisian government decided to stop exporting some vegetables and fruits to give priority to the domestic market. The ministry mentioned that the banned vegetables include peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and other varieties. Affected by the rising prices of international commodities, Tunisia has seen a sharp rise in prices for vegetable oil, flour, rice and so on. In 2021, Tunisia exported about 45 million U.S. dollars of vegetables and fruits, mainly to Libya. Xinhua News Agency correspondents repor

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Madagascar grapples with inflation as it bites

STORY: Madagascar grapples with inflation as it bites DATELINE: April 12, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:02 LOCATION: Antananarivo CATEGORY: ECONOMY/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: various of street view in Antananarivovarious of vendorsSOUNDBITE 1 (Malagasy): JEAN YVES, ButcherSOUNDBITE 2 (Malagasy): FARA, Fishmonger STORYLINE: This island nation of Madagascar has taken a raft of measures to rein in rising inflation due to internal and external factors. The measures included the subsidy made by the Malagasy State on the pump price of fuel and the massive import of rice to cushion the rise in the price of rice in the local market. SOUNDBITE 1 (Malagasy): JEAN YVES, Butcher "Right now, people don't buy meat by kilogram. They purchase it by piece. They took one or two small pieces at most." SOUNDBITE 2 (Malagasy): FARA, Fishmonger "We can clearly see that people's purchasing power is decreasing. I can say that the price has not increased too much. But selling five kilograms of fresh fish seems difficult right now, while

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A shipping line equipped with metal detectors to ensure the safety of rice at Hyoshin Kikai Kogyo Co.

Hyoshin Kikai Kogyo Co., Ltd. of Harima Town, Hyogo Prefecture, has entered the rice cultivation and sales business. The company has obtained JGAP certification for its rice, a safety management standard for agricultural products. The company has harvested about three tons of "Milky Queen," a variety of rice that has a good taste and sells at a relatively high price, and is currently selling samples of the rice. in fiscal 2008, the company will borrow paddy fields from farmers in the vicinity of its headquarters to more than double the area under cultivation. The company will use its own bases for sales. The company has already developed and sold a device for hydroponic cultivation of vegetables on board by applying the technology of marine equipment. The company obtained JGAP certification for its hydroponic fruits and vegetables in 2006, and has now obtained the certification for rice as well. Photo taken on August 30, 2019, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images

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Kubota's rice harvester designed for elderly farmers

OSAKA, Japan - Kubota Corp. has released a new small rice harvester (photo) it says is specially designed for use by elderly farmers. The harvester is fully automated and is easy to maneuver even in small paddy fields, the company says. The price of a 10.5-horsepower machine begins at 1,417,500 yen. About 60 percent of Japanese farmers are aged over 65. (Kyodo)

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