新米２０万トン、販売先送り　値下がり回避、来秋以降に―ＪＡ全中

　全国農業協同組合中央会（ＪＡ全中）は１０日、これから収穫が本格化する２０２０年産米について、２０万トン程度の販売を来年の秋以降に先送りする方針を明らかにした。新型コロナウイルス感染拡大などの影響で需要が大幅に減っており、供給を抑えることで米価の下落を防ぐ。
　同日午後、自民党の農林関係会合で説明した。米価が大きく値下がりすれば、農業が基幹産業となっている地方経済への影響が懸念される。このため、農協グループを中心に作付けの抑制など生産量の適正化が求められそうだ。政府に米価の安定策の強化を求める声が上がる可能性もある。（2020/09/10-21:21）

The Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives, or JA-Zenchu, on Thursday revealed plans to suspend until autumn 2021 or later sales of around 200,000 tons of rice harvested in Japan in 2020, in a bid to prevent rice prices from falling.
   The nationwide agricultural body explained the plans at a meeting of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on the day.
   The move comes as rice shipments to the restaurant industry are sluggish amid the coronavirus epidemic.
   In the year through June 2020, rice demand dropped 220,000 tons from the previous year, twice the initially estimated amount, due partly to the October 2019 consumption tax hike.
   Rice demand is on a long-term downtrend, reflecting the diversification of what people eat in Japan. Annual demand is now estimated at about 7.1 million tons, against estimated production of some 7.3 million tons.