Japan's food self-sufficiency climbs to 40% through new govt efforts

Japan, the world's biggest net food importer, relied a tiny bit more on local farm and fishery produce last year, in a sign that a government focus on food security may be having some effect on the national diet, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday.

Japan's food self-sufficiency rate on a calorie basis stood at 40 percent in the year that ended in March, up from a record low 39 percent the year before, due partly to good weather improving domestic output of wheat and sugar beat.

Domestic wheat production hit 910,000 tons last year, the highest since 1990, helping curb imports, which Japan controls closely in order to stabilize prices. Wheat is the second-most widely consumed grain after rice in Japan.