TOKYO, March 29 – In an effort to preserve the beautiful sea of Amami in Kagoshima Prefecture, a local agricultural cooperative and a rice producer have been conducting a campaign since last December to promote purchases of prewashed rice.
The initiative by JA Amami and Kagoshima Pearl Rice Co., Ltd., has proved successful, with the sales of prewashed rice at their stores between December and February totaling 51,140 tons, up 36.6 percent from the same period a year before.
The ratio of prewashed rice reached 35.7 percent of the total sales, up 7.6 percentage points.
“As people understand the benefits of prewashed rice, we are seeing more repeat purchases,” said an official of JA Amami. “We are first aiming at raising the sales ratio of prewashed rice to 50 percent.”
They also designated every third Wednesday of the months between March and October the day to think about water, and set a five-day period starting from that day every month as a period to promote the benefits of eco-friendly prewashed rice for a prosperous future.
They will work on the initiative also to contribute to the achievement of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs).