Japanese Minister of Agriculture Taku Eto stepped down from his office after making a remark about rice that many in the public found out of touch with budget-conscious consumers. Eto allegedly told the audience at a fundraising party on Sunday that he has “never bought rice” due to the amount of it gifted to him.

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.