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Japanese government is requesting its citizens to drink more milk: The reason will surprise you

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Yes. Milk.

As per Bloomberg, no less than the Japanese prime minister made the request on Tuesday. “We’d like the population to cooperate in drinking an extra cup of milk than you’d normally do and make use of milk products when cooking,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a news conference.

As per the report, Japanese farm minister Genjiro Kaneko and Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike both also drank a cup of milk  ostensibly to set a good example for the public), at news conferences on 17 December.

Confused? Let’s examine why this is happening:

What’s the issue?

As per Nippon.com, a temporary oversupply has stoked fears that large amount of milk will go to waste during the year-end and New Year holiday period.

How much milk are we talking?

The Japanese government estimates that as much as 5,000 tonnes of raw milk could be discarded by the end of 2021.

Why is this happening?

The Japanese dairy industry has strengthened its production capacity since the butter shortage that hit the country around 2014, while it saw the amount of milk grow this summer as cool weather provided a good environment for dairy cows to grow, as per Nippon.com.

So while supply is up, demand is down. For the oh-so-familiar reason: COVID-19.

As per NBCnews.com, the Japan Dairy Association cited the continuing spread of COVID-19 as taking a toll on demand for milk, which is often given out to school students in a carton.

Hiroshi Ohashi, an economics professor from the University of Tokyo, told NBCnews.com: “(The oversupply of milk) is because of low domestic demand for milk, in which big consumers such as schools and restaurants have not been able to provide fresh meals, including milk, for long,” said Ohashi. “A large-scale shift to virtual learning brought about by the pandemic has reduced the necessity for schools to purchase milk in bulk as part of its school lunch program.”

So, what’s being done?

In addition to public officials asking for public help, industry giants are pulling out all the stops. As per WION, convenience chain Lawson’s is offering a staggering 50 percent discount on a cup of hot milk on 31 December and 1 January. Meanwhile,  Meiji Holdings Company, a dairy industry giant has gone the celebrity route by luring in Saori Yoshida, an Olympic wrestling champion as well as running a campaign to increase milk consumption.

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Corona

Covid toll in Karnataka is a worrying sign for state government

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Even though Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid deaths in April since the virus struck first in 2020, the state is recording a rise in the positivity rate (1.50 per cent). Five people died from the Covid infections in April as per the statistics released by the state health department. In March, the positivity rate stood around 0.53 per cent. In the first week of April it came down to 0.38 per cent, second week registered 0.56 per cent, third week it rose to 0.79 per cent and by end of April the Covid positivity rate touched 1.19 per cent.

on an average 500 persons used to succumb everyday in the peak of Covid infection, as per the data. Health experts said that the mutated Coronavirus is losing its fierce characteristics as vaccination, better treatment facilities and awareness among the people have contributed to the lesser number of Covid deaths.

During the 4th and 6th of April two deaths were reported in Bengaluru, one in Gadag district on April 8, two deaths were reported from Belagavi and Vijayapura on April 30. The first Covid case was reported in the state in March 2020 and three Covid deaths were recorded in the month. In the following month 21 people became victims to the deadly virus, and May 2020 recorded 22 deaths. The death toll recorded everyday after May crossed three digits. However, the third wave, which started in January 2

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