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 ...