- 14 Mar 2002
- 21,053
- 18,908
The quality of rice in Japan has suffered greatly from the extreme heat this summer, resulting in a record-low harvest of top-quality rice.
The prolonged drought and heat wave that lasted until early September affected the rice production, leading to lower yields, more chalky grains and reduced prices. Only 59.6 per cent of the total rice harvested in Japan by the end of September met the criteria for first-grade rice. This is a 16 percentage point decrease from last year, as reported by the agriculture ministry on 31 October. This is the lowest figure since 2004 when the current data collection method started. The ministry has inspected 40 per cent of the expected harvest this year. The most severely impacted prefecture is Niigata, where the proportion of first-grade rice to total rice harvest fell by 60.9 percentage points to 13.5 per cent, likely to break the record of 20.3 per cent set in 2010.
japannews.yomiuri.co.jp
The prolonged drought and heat wave that lasted until early September affected the rice production, leading to lower yields, more chalky grains and reduced prices. Only 59.6 per cent of the total rice harvested in Japan by the end of September met the criteria for first-grade rice. This is a 16 percentage point decrease from last year, as reported by the agriculture ministry on 31 October. This is the lowest figure since 2004 when the current data collection method started. The ministry has inspected 40 per cent of the expected harvest this year. The most severely impacted prefecture is Niigata, where the proportion of first-grade rice to total rice harvest fell by 60.9 percentage points to 13.5 per cent, likely to break the record of 20.3 per cent set in 2010.
Record-breaking Japan Heat Wave Impacts Rice Quality, Raises Veg Prices
The recent record-breaking heat wave has dealt a heavy blow to farmers, driving down the quality of rice crops — and, in some cases, causing crop failures — while pushing up prices for vegetables and other products. “I can’t continue growing rice if things continue like this,” said one farmer...
japannews.yomiuri.co.jp
