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by miragecraft 656 days ago
A lot of countries have a national food reserve that is used to calm prices when demand fluctuates, it allows time to adjust production while you’re putting food in or out of the reserve to control prices.

Does Japan not have that?
1 comments
phonon 656 days ago
https://www.bastillepost.com/global/article/4076639-japans-r...

"Japan's rice stockpile has dropped to its lowest level in this century due to a prolonged heatwave in 2023 and rising domestic demand, causing concerns among residents about high prices."

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lvspiff 656 days ago
Probably for the same reason strategically placed tea reserves all around china just incase someone wants to steal it "all"...the idea of Japan having a massive underground cave complex for rice is amusing to me for some reason. I know its not how it works but the next big earthquake could open up a lava flow and produce a giant rice krispy field and then we'd just have to lure the stay-puff marshmallow man into that field...
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mey 656 days ago
Is there a list of food reserves that each country maintains? I feel like that would be an interesting/funny cultural insight. Like the US Cheese Stockpile or the Canada Maple Syrup Reserve.
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Scoundreller 656 days ago
Gotta include the at-home stocks which is going to be harder/more variable to measure.

Though if you have diversity in your crop production, usually when one thing does badly, something else does better, especially if your country is big.

When COVID first hit, I did an estimate of how much food I had on hand (without even intentionally trying to stockpile) and I figure I could live 6-8 months without leaving.

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insane_dreamer 655 days ago
US cheese stockpile? More like US burgers stockpile :)
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slater 655 days ago
> US cheese stockpile?

https://www.newsweek.com/americas-14-billion-pound-cheese-st...

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insane_dreamer 655 days ago
TIL we have a cheese stockpile. I would not have guessed that.
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bell-cot 656 days ago
So Japan has a stockpile...but is not competent to manage it. I'd guess that's the usual story of too-numerous and long-calcified bureaucrats, overseen by oblivious and uncaring politicians.

(From a few quick searches, it looks like rice will last 5+ years with proper storage.)

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ForOldHack 655 days ago
" Why has Japan been hit with rice shortages, soaring prices despite normal crops? (Answer: acreage reduction!)"

They claim to have enough.

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