Peak of potato harvest in Obihiro, Tokachi 20210919 скачать в хорошем качестве

Peak of potato harvest in Obihiro, Tokachi 20210919

This year’s potato harvest is reaching its peak in Hokkaido’s potato-producing region in the city of Obihiro. Due to the hot temperatures and lack of rain in July, the potatoes are smaller than usual and the harvest is expected to be less prolific than usual. Harvesting will continue until early October. May Queen potatoes are grown on approximately 1,200 hectares of land at 200 farms in the Obihiro Taisho Agricultural Cooperative, and shipped as the ‘Taisho May Queen’ brand throughout Hokkaido and beyond, particularly in the Kansai region. Nishida, a farmer in the city of Obihiro cultivates Taisho May Queen on 10 hectares of land. On the 2nd, a specialist ‘potato harvester’ machine was operated along the ridges of the fields, sorting the potatoes by shape and size as they were dug from the earth. “The amount harvested will be less than usual but the potatoes are sufficiently sweet,” says Nishida. “They go well with any cuisine, so I hope that lots of people eat them.” According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 120,100 tons were harvested in Obihiro in 2019, the highest of any municipality on Hokkaido. The harvest in the Tokachi region accounts for 34% of the entire potato harvest in Japan.