Kamimashiki Agricultural Cooperative (JA), headquartered at one of the hardest-hit areas by the latest Kumamoto huge earthquake, Kosa-machi, Kumamoto prefecture, resumed operations at its watermelon grading facility on April 18, which had been suspended since the earthquake rocked the area on April 14.
JA’s grading house is again filled with watermelons harvested by farmers in the quake-stricken area. (Mashiki-machi, Kumamoto prefecture)
Watermelons produced by the JA member farmers were graded by hands of JA staff members and some producers living near the facility, while an automatic grading machine was broken by the heavy tremors. Hard works of loading trucks bound for markets with sorted watermelons were also done by them.
Takamori Morimoto, 45, producing watermelons on farmlands of 1.5 hectare, had his house and barns collapsed by the earthquake. He and his family members have been evacuated at a house of his relative living in his town.
On April 18, he picked mature watermelons at his green houses, which survived the earthquake, and brought about them to the watermelon grading house operated by the JA’s Mashiki branch office.
“I have been evacuated with my family at a community shelter. I have stayed there doing nothing all day and always inclined to think only about the earthquake and aftershocks. Today I got a job of harvesting my watermelons. It really encourages me,” another farmer said, wiping the sweat off his face after completing works of watermelon shipments.