Season of new rice Niigata Decision on the name of a new Koshihikari variety Is the heat the key to "Special A"?

Highlights: Season of new rice Niigata Decision on the name of a new Koshihikari variety. Is the heat the key to "Special A"?. The average temperature from June to last month was 6.1°C higher than normal. The number of rice that has become cloudy white due to the record-breaking heat of summer is increasing. It is expected that the number of "third-class rice" that has been evaluated poorly in various parts of the prefecture so far is expected to increase.

【NHK】The season of new rice has arrived. Shipments of harvested rice in various places have begun. However, due to the influence of the heat, which can be said to be abnormal weather, various places ...

The season of new rice has arrived. Shipments of harvested rice in various places have begun.

However, due to the influence of the heat, which can be said to be abnormal weather, there are concerns about a deterioration in quality in various places.

Meanwhile, in Niigata, a major rice production area, a "new" Koshihikari that is resistant to heat was born. While maintaining its deliciousness, it also had the weapon to make high-quality rice.

New varieties of Koshihikari What is its name? And the characteristics?
Behind the development of new varieties is "extreme heat"

notice
Ever-increasing stocks "Strength to heat" and more
"Special A" wins one after another, "resistant to heat" has a presence in the rating
notice
30 years of development "Starry Sky Dance" is the first "Special A" Tottori
Expert "Strengths other than taste are important"

Open Table of Contents

table of contents

New varieties of Koshihikari What is its name? And the characteristics?
Behind the development of new varieties is "extreme heat"
notice
Ever-increasing stocks "Strength to heat" and more
"Special A" wins one after another, "resistant to heat" has a presence in the rating
notice
30 years of development "Starry Sky Dance" is the first "Special A" Tottori
Expert "Strengths other than taste are important"

New varieties of Koshihikari What is its name? And the characteristics?

Niigata University held a press conference on the 28th and announced the name of the new rice variety that has been being developed.

Its name is "Shindai Koshihikari". It was taken from the abbreviation of Niigata University.

When the university solicited names last year, it received 2506,<> applications from all over the country, and a committee made up of distributors, retailers, and university officials has been considering it.

There were many opinions that it would be better to include the name "Koshihikari", and they respected these opinions.

A distinctive feature of the variety is its resistance to heat.

As a new variety whose rice grains do not easily become cloudy even at high temperatures, we have been conducting demonstration experiments for the past three years toward practical use.

Behind the development of new varieties is "extreme heat"

The aim behind the development is to prevent the deterioration of rice quality due to the summer heat.

In particular, it was so hot that a study group of the Japan Meteorological Agency pointed out that it was "abnormal weather."

The average temperature from June to last month was 6.1°C higher than normal, the highest since statistics began in 76.

In Niigata Prefecture, the number of rice that has become cloudy white due to the record-breaking heat of summer is increasing, and it is expected that the number of rice that is considered to be "third-class rice" that has been evaluated poorly in various parts of the prefecture so far is expected to increase.

Professor Mitsui, who developed "New University Koshihikari" (right)

Niigata University is conducting a demonstration experiment of "Shindai Koshihikari" even in the record heat of this year, and hopes to report the results from late November to early December.

Professor Toshiaki Mitsui, Faculty of Agriculture, Niigata University:
"You can enjoy the deliciousness of Koshihikari as it is, and I want to grow 'Shindai Koshihikari' into rice that is loved by many people."

notice

Ever-increasing stocks "Strength to heat" and more

Rice brands such as "Koshihikari" and "Hitomebore" are increasing year by year.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the number of rice brands registered in the country is 928.

Since 4 years ago in 2019, it has increased by more than 100.

Some new brands have characteristics such as being resistant to heat, such as the "Shindai Koshihikari" developed by Niigata University.

One of them is Toyama Prefecture's brand rice "Fufufu". On the 28th, three trucks carrying 40 tons of new rice departed for the wholesaler before the start of sales.

"Futofutomi" is a brand rice developed by the prefecture to overcome the weaknesses of Koshihikari, such as being vulnerable to heat and making rice fall easily.

According to JA Zen-Noh Toyama, 3,8800 tons are expected to be harvested this year, and the ratio of the best first-class rice can be maintained at 1% or more of the usual level despite the record heat wave.

"Special A" wins one after another, "resistant to heat" has a presence in the rating

Varieties with these characteristics also demonstrate their strengths in the "rating" of rice.

One of the indicators for evaluating rice is the "taste ranking".

The Grain Inspection Association announces Japan that evaluates the quality and safety of agricultural products.

The person in charge selected as the "Taste Evaluation Expert" tastes the rice strictly cooked using the same rice cooker, and scores it in six items: "appearance," "aroma," "taste," "stickiness," "hardness," and "overall evaluation."

The highest rank is "Special A (particularly good)," followed by "A (good)," "A' (generally equivalent to standard rice)," "B (slightly inferior)," and "B' (poor)."

Receiving the highest "Special A" rating makes it easier for producers to appeal to consumers for their good taste, which leads to brand power, so competition by production area is becoming fierce year by year.

The results of the screening of branded rice produced last year were announced in February, and 2 brands received a "Special A" rating.

In terms of varieties and production areas, Koshihikari was reduced from 40 in the previous year to 13, while heat-resistant varieties such as Ichihomare in Fukui Prefecture and Oidemai in Kagawa Prefecture were newly rated as Special A.

In particular, "Nikomaru," a heat-resistant variety that is popular mainly in western Japan, has been rated "Special A" in six production areas, doubling from the previous year.

notice

30 years of development "Starry Sky Dance" is the first "Special A" Tottori

This time, for the first time, "Hoshizoramai" received a "Special A" rating.

It is resistant to high temperatures and diseases, and its strength is that it is difficult for rice to fall over.

It is a variety that Tottori Prefecture has been developing for about 30 years, and has received the highest evaluation in three years since full-scale production began in 2019.

JA Zen-no Tottori Yuichi Hirohata, General Manager of Rice Grain Department

Yuichi Hirohata, General Manager
of JA Zen-Noh Tottori, Rice Grain Department: "To be honest, I was surprised because I thought it would not be easy to get a Special A, but I'm happy. I feel that producers' motivation to make good products is also increasing."

Although the production volume is still small, it has been growing stably despite the heat so far.

Local governments in the prefecture are focusing on PR, such as handling this variety as a gift in return for hometown tax payment, and in the future, we will increase the acreage and aim to more than double to 3,2 hectares in three years.

Yuichi Hirohata, General Manager
of JA Zen-no Tottori Rice Grain Department: "I think we are finally in a position where we can compete with varieties from all over the country, and I think we can supply a stable supply without changing the quality depending on the weather, so we would like to take advantage of that strength to strengthen sales so that many people can eat it."

Expert "Strengths other than taste are important"

Experts who are familiar with the quality of rice point out that properties other than taste are becoming increasingly important in order to continue to produce high-quality rice.

Niigata University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Kenichi Otsubo, Project Professor

Kenichi Otsubo, Project Professor
, Niigata University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, said, "In the past, as rice consumption is decreasing, there was a great emphasis on making delicious varieties in order to produce the rice that consumers wanted. The number of varieties with strengths such as "delicious, resistant to high temperatures, high yield, and resistant to disease" is increasing. In particular, the temperature has become very high this year, but I don't think it is just a trend this year, so I think it will be important to combine strengths such as high temperature resistance."

Rice has continued to support Japan food.

Supported by the efforts of production areas nationwide to continue to provide deliciousness without losing to the power of nature, it is delivered to our tables.