Grocery stores in Japan are limiting customers to a maximum of two packages of butter each. Last week the government announced a plan for “emergency imports” to ease shortages of the spread.

The butter shortfall stems from several factors including stressed-out dairy cows, aging farmers, rising costs and trade and price restrictions.

The official reason for short supplies of milk used to make butter is lower output due to unusually hot weather last summer in the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan’s dairy basket. Fresh milk sells for more per ton than butter, so dairy producers are said to be giving butter short shrift.

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