Paris šC Agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki on Friday promoted Japanese rice at a supermarket near Paris.
As part of a Japanese food fair held at the supermarket in Claye-Souilly, Suzuki handed out onigiri rice balls made from Japanese rice to shoppers.
¡°As everyone (who sampled the rice balls) said they were delicious, I think we are starting to see a very real possibility of (sales channels for Japanese rice) opening up significantly,¡± he said.
In January this year, Suzuki inspected Japanese food shops and other spots in Paris, with an eye toward boosting Japan¡¯s rice exports. This led to Friday¡¯s rice tasting event thanks to the cooperation of the supermarket and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).
As an average European household usually does not own a rice cooker, Suzuki said that the Japanese government needs to compile a sales strategy, including specific proposals to encourage rice consumption.
At a three-day summit of the Group of Seven major powers in Evian, eastern France, that ended on Wednesday, the leaders adopted a statement calling for measures against soaring fertilizer prices and supply disruptions in the wake of a deterioration in the Middle East situation.
On Saturday, Suzuki is slated to visit Morocco, which exports phosphorus, a fertilizer ingredient, to Japan. He said that he will hold talks with Moroccan government officials and others to ensure adequate phosphorus shipments to Japan no matter the situation.
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