Before Christmas, strawberry harvest is at its peak in Tamana City, one of the leading strawberry producing areas in Kumamoto Prefecture.
In JA Tamana jurisdiction including Tamana City, strawberry production is thriving, and 200 farmers mainly cultivate the main variety "Yubeni" on more than 50 hectares.
The strawberry harvest, which began early last month, peaked before Christmas and farmers are busy picking it early in the morning.
At the house in Yokoshima-machi, Tamana City, Koichi Murakami (59) and his wife picked "Yubeni", which is characterized by a good balance of sweetness and sourness, one by one.
Mr. Murakami said, "We are blessed with good weather without being damaged by pests and making the best strawberries."
According to JA, the warmth of the beginning of this month causes the fruits to ripen temporarily faster and tend to be a little smaller, but they are just right for Christmas cakes, sweet and of good quality.
Strawberry harvest will continue until May next year, and this season it will be shipped nationwide, including Kansai and Kanto, with a target of 2500 tons, which is almost the same as last year.