The shipment volume of strawberries, which is a specialty of Tochigi prefecture, has reached more than 20,000 tons this season, and is expected to maintain the number one position in Japan for 34 consecutive years.
According to Tochigi Prefecture, the amount of strawberries produced in the prefecture shipped through JA this season from October to the end of May last year was 20,374 tons, a decrease of 1% from the previous season.
On the other hand, the sales amount is expected to reach a record high of 26,420 million yen, an increase of 10% from last year.
In terms of shipment volume by product type,
▼ the mainstay Tochiotome was 16,519 tons, which was the largest, but it was about 10% less than the previous season.
On the other hand,
▼ "Skyberry", which is popular for gifts, was 1340 tons, which exceeded the previous season, and
▼ "Tochiaika", which is the second season after full-scale cultivation started, was 2515 tons. It has tripled from the season.
According to the local JA, Fukuoka Prefecture, which is the second largest in Japan every year, has shipped only 10,207 tons this season, so Tochigi Prefecture is expected to maintain the highest shipment volume in Japan for 34 consecutive years.
The Tochigi Prefecture Production Promotion Division says, "We would like to promote the production of strawberry kingdom Tochigi together with other varieties while working to popularize the new varieties of Tochiika, whose production volume is increasing."