Japan's new agriculture minister Koizumi Shinjiro has pledged to tackle soaring rice prices as he officially takes over from his predecessor Eto Taku.

Canada's new agriculture minister, Heath MacDonald, said in an interview on Thursday that tackling trade issues with China and the United States are his most pressing priorities.

Japan’s agriculture minister has resigned after making an inappropriate remark about buying rice. Taku Eto said at a party seminar Sunday that he never had to buy rice thanks to his supporters’ gifts,

Union Agriculture Minister emphasizes farmer-centric agricultural research, accountability, and practical outcomes at annual conference, urging immediate action for progress.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reprimanded the farm minister for claiming he never buys rice because he gets it free, provoking the ire of consumers facing soaring prices.