NIIGATA, April 22 – Moves are seen in Niigata Prefecture, the top rice producing region in the country, to expand cultivation of extremely early-maturing rice varieties.
On April 21, farmers in Niigata started planting Hazuki Minori, a rice cultivar that can be harvested as early as in August.
As consumers continue to feel a supply shortage of the staple grain, growers hope to deliver newly harvested rice to consumers as quickly as possible.
JA Echigo Chuetsu, a local agricultural cooperative, has been encouraging rice farmers to cultivate early-season rice to make the district a major producing area of such rice varieties.
It plans to complete sales of Hazuki Minori during the period from mid-August through the end of August, when there is strong demand for the variety before Koshiibuki, an early-maturing rice variety, arrives on the market.
Hazuki Minori can be harvested roughly three weeks earlier than Koshihikari, the most widely-grown variety.
Sixty farmers in areas covered by JA Echigo Chuetsu cultivate Hazuki Minori on fields totaling 133 hectares and plan to sell a total of around 650 tons.
Yu Tomita, 39, a rice farmer of Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, planted Hazuki Minori on a 4-hectare land on April 21.
“Seedlings were initially slow to grow because of the cold weather in early spring, but they eventually grew smoothly after careful control of greenhouse temperature and watering,” Tomita said.
The prefecture has also developed Niigata No. 135, a new extremely early-maturing variety, and is preparing to make it available for farmers to start cultivation next year.
Niigata No. 135 is heat-tolerant and can be harvested in August.
“By adopting new varieties, farmers can spread out their harvest and workload,” said an official of the Niigata Prefectural Government’s crop production and horticulture division.
Rice farmer Yu Tomita (foreground) plants Hazuki Minori rice in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture.