Business Development and Support Division

This article originally posted by KUBOTA Corporation at www.kubota.com/news/2023/20231214.html on December 14, 2023. All rights and ownership belong to KUBOTA Corporation.

Kubota Corporation (Head Office: Naniwa-ku, Osaka, Japan; President and Representative Director: Yuichi Kitao; hereinafter “the Company”) established Kubota Rice Industry (Hawaii) Inc. (hereinafter “Kubota Hawaii”), a Japanese-rice importing, milling and sales company, on Oahu in Hawaii, the United States. By locally milling brown rice imported from Japan and providing it for customers, Kubota Hawaii will convey the appeal of fresh and tasty Japanese rice and contribute to increasing the export of Japanese rice.

1. Background and Purpose

• The Company set up Kubota Rice Industry (H.K.) Co., Ltd. in Hong Kong in 2011 and Kubota Rice Industry (Singapore) PTE. Ltd. in Singapore in 2013, in order to contribute to Japanese agriculture by expanding overseas sales channels of Japanese rice. They have spread the Japanese taste of fresh and tasty rice in local communities, mainly to restaurants, by locally milling and selling brown rice imported from Japan. In 2022, they imported Japanese rice amounted to approximately 5,300 tons.
• The rice consumption per capita in Hawaii, where there are many Japanese Americans, is one of the highest in the United States, and the demand is expected to continue to grow. We anticipate a growing demand for rice flour as well as white rice in terms of gluten-free foods. However, no rice is produced in Hawaii. Currently, all rice for consumption has to be shipped in from the US mainland or imported.
• The Company has established Kubota Hawaii, which will start to import, mill, and sell Japanese rice in Hawaii from the spring of 2024. Trusted, safe, and tasty rice produced in Japan under quality control will be milled locally, and customers will receive it fresh, which will stimulate demand for Japanese rice. With an eye to expanding into the US mainland in the future, Kubota Hawaii will contribute to increasing the export of Japanese rice.

2. Profile of Kubota Hawaii

Company name	Kubota Rice Industry (Hawaii) Inc.
Date of establishment	April 6, 2023
Location	Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA
Business	Importation, milling, and sales of Japanese rice
Annual capacity of rice milling	900 tons
Start of business	Spring of 2024 (planned)