コメ品薄「消費者の立場で対処を」　岸田首相、坂本農水相に指示

　岸田文雄首相は２７日、品薄となっているコメについて「消費者の立場に立って、コメの流通不足の懸念に対処」するよう、坂本哲志農林水産相に指示した。首相官邸で開いた食料安定供給・農林水産業基盤強化本部の席上、述べた。
　コメは、物価高騰の中でパンや麺類に比べ価格上昇が緩やかだったことに加え、インバウンド（訪日客）による需要が堅調。これに南海トラフ地震の臨時情報に伴う買いだめも重なり、店頭で品薄となっている。首相は「さまざまな食品が値上がりしている中、食品アクセスの確保は喫緊の課題だ」と強調した。（2024/08/27-20:15）

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday instructed agriculture minister Tetsushi Sakamoto to respond to concerns about rice supply "from the viewpoint of consumers."
   Kishida gave the instruction at a meeting of the government's headquarters on stable food supply.
   The country is currently seeing a shortage of rice supply as demand for rice has been firm due to its slower price growth than bread and noodles amid inflation, as well as demand from visitors from abroad. In addition, consumers moved to stockpile food after the government said this month that the risk of a megaquake in the Nankai Trough off the Pacific coast had increased.
   "With prices of various foods on the rise, ensuring food access is an urgent task," the prime minister said.
   Also at the headquarters meeting, the government presented a plan to boost domestic production of wheat and soybeans to strengthen food security. It also said that a request for funds for agriculture, forestry and fishery projects in its fiscal 2025 will total 2,638.9 billion yen.