A rice remark cost Japan’s agriculture minister his job amid a price crisis that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s government is grappling with.

Japan’s Agriculture Minister Taku Eto announced his resignation on Wednesday following backlash over an inappropriate comment about rice.

Eto came under fire earlier this week after stating that he had “never had to buy rice” because supporters gave it to him, a remark that sparked public outrage amid a national rice shortage and soaring prices.

Rice is a staple food in Japan, and Eto’s comment struck a nerve in a country where retail rice prices have doubled since last year.