TOKYO, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government will release additional stockpiled rice every month until July as rice prices remained at an all-time high, the agriculture minister said Wednesday.

"The government will sell off its stockpiled rice every month until summer to stabilize rising rice prices through creating a stable supply to consumers," farm minister Taku Eto told reporters following a meeting with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Eto's announcement came as rice price hikes have continued unabated as the previous two releases of stockpiled rice appeared to have had little effect in stabilizing prices.

For the third release, the government will put 100,000 tons of stockpiled rice up for auction in late April, and the sizes of subsequent releases will be based on market conditions and other factors, Eto said.

According to agriculture ministry data, the price of rice rose for the 13th consecutive week, with the average price for 5 kilograms of rice in the week of March 24 coming to 4,206 yen (about 29 U.S. dollars), more than double the price of the same period last year.

In February, the government announced for the first time that it would be releasing rice from emergency stockpile to ensure smooth distribution and bring down the surging price.

The first round of bidding for 140,000 tons of rice began in early March and was thought to have hit store shelves already in some regions. The second round of 70,000 tons took place in late March and was expected to hit shelves sometime later this month. Enditem

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