Tokyo, Oct. 31 (Jiji Press) — Japan’s agriculture ministry said Tuesday that 33 businesses, including wholesalers and trading houses, have announced their intention to join its project to export 100,000 tons of rice in 2019.

The overall amount of rice that the exporters aim to ship in that year stands at 125,000 tons, topping the target set by the government, an official of the ministry’s Crop Production Policy Planning Division said.

In September, the ministry announced the project aimed at expanding overseas markets for Japanese rice.

The 33 exporters include major rice wholesaler Shinmei Co. and Kitoku Shinryo Co. as well as the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations, or JA Zen-Noh, which acts as a trading house of the whole JA group.

They hope to increase rice exports particularly to China, Southeast Asia, North America and the Middle East.