An off-the-cuff remark about never paying for rice has cost Japan’s agriculture minister his job, as pressure mounts on the government to solve the nation’s rice crisis.

TOKYO -- Japan's newly appointed agriculture minister is aiming to make rice available in the "2,000-yen range" (around $14 to $21) per 5 kilograms at retail outlets like supermarkets by early June by having the government set prices for stockpiled rice and selling it to a wide range of businesses.