TOKYO, Sept. 29 — Beniharuka had the largest acreage in Japan among all sweet potato varieties including those for cooking, brewing and producing starch, according to a survey by the agriculture ministry.
In the 2022 harvest season, Beniharuka’s cropping acreage was 7,055 hectares, up 5 percent from a year before. It took over the top position long held by Koganesengan, whose total planted area was 6,613 hectares in 2022.
Beniharuka occupied the top share of 22 percent in terms of acreage, as it gained support of growers for high-yielding, quality crops, as well as its sticky texture and rich sweetness.
While half of the planted areas are located in Ibaraki Prefecture, the variety is widely cultivated throughout the country, from the northeastern Tohoku region to the southern Kyushu region. Its cropping acreage grew 3.5 times in the last decade.
Among cultivars marketed as fresh produce, the acreage is continuing to decline for Beniazuma and Kokei No. 14, the classic varieties with flaky texture that had been popular in the past. Their cropping acreage dropped 6 percent and 10 percent from the previous year, respectively.
Meanwhile, varieties with flaky texture are in strong demand for use in ready-made and processed foods, and new cultivars are actively being developed.
As for varieties used in brewing liquors and producing starch, Koganesengan and Shiroyutaka saw their cropping acreages decrease, while the acreage of Konaishin — a high-yielding variety with Fusarium wilt resistance — marked a 45 percent year-on-year increase to reach 1,631 hectares.
Konaishin is grown mainly in Kagoshima Prefecture and is said to be relatively resistant to foot rot disease as well.