コメ農家の廃業・倒産が過去最多ペース

Welcome to Japanese Daily News. I'm Maya. Today is September eleventh. Rice farmers in Japan are quitting at a record pace this year, even after rice prices surged. Let's listen.

Now let's break it down, sentence by sentence.

Rice farmers are closing down or going bankrupt at a record pace again this year.

It means closing down a business for good.

From January through August, twenty-eight rice farms closed or suspended business and four went bankrupt — thirty-two in total.

It means bankruptcy.

At this pace, the number will top last year's thirty-seven and set a record for the fourth straight year.

It means consecutive — in a row.

Last year rice prices jumped, and nearly eighty percent of rice farms saw higher profits.

It means profit.

One big reason is aging — the average farm owner is now over sixty.

It means aging — a population getting older.

Fertilizer and pesticide prices are up too, so the cost of growing rice keeps rising.

It means cost, or expense.

On top of that, this year's new rice is expected to sell to the co-ops for twenty to forty percent less than last year.

It means an outlook, or forecast.

Farmers are saying that at this rate, rice farming no longer pays as a business.

It means management — running a business.

Experts say Japan needs a system that lets younger generations keep growing rice with confidence.

It means a system, or mechanism.

Let's listen to the whole story one more time.

Time for a short quiz. Listen and try to answer.

Thirty-two.

The aging of farmers — the average owner is over sixty.

It is expected to be twenty to forty percent lower than last year.

That's all for today. Record prices last year, yet record closures this year — Japan's rice farming is at a turning point. See you next time on Japanese Daily News.