Thursday, April 3, 2025
On Friday, March 28th, from 4pm, the Kitaryū Sunflower and Watermelon Producers Association held a seedling tour.
Sunflower watermelon seedling tour
Together with Yamazumi Yuuki from the Sorachi Agricultural Cooperative Improvement and Extension Center, Fujikawa Yuya from the JA Kitasorachi Fruit and Vegetable Department, and Sakuraba Kenichi, a new farmer promotion officer, we visited six seedling greenhouses owned by producers Watanabe Toshinari, Sato Kosuke, Sugimoto Katsuhiro, Izaki Michiyoshi, Tsuzuki Hiromi, and Takada Akimitsu of Takada Co., Ltd.
We investigated the sowing date, number of seedlings, grafting date, root pruning date, planned planting date, etc., checked each other's growth status, and exchanged opinions on future cultivation management methods, such as the presence of pests and diseases, the temperature and humidity inside the greenhouse, and hydration.
Producer Toshinari Watanabe's field
Producer Kosuke Sato's field
"The space between the nodes of a seedling is called an internode. If there is little sunlight, the seedlings will tend to become elongated and the internodes will become long. Elongated seedlings have weak cells and are more susceptible to pests and diseases.
"When the internodes become dense and the trees grow large, the cells become tighter and they become less susceptible to disease and insects. The seedlings here are growing into very good seedlings," said Kosuke Sato.
New Farmer Promotion Officer, Kenichi Sakuraba
Producer Katsuhiro Sugimoto's field
Producer Michiyoshi Izaki's farm
Producer: Takada Co., Ltd., Mr. Akimitsu Takada's farm
Producer Hiromi Tsuzuki's field
Social gathering
After the seedlings are grown, there will be a social gathering at the Yakiniku restaurant "Jirocho (Representative: Fujita Nobusuke)" in Kitaryū Town from 5pm.
Mayor Sasaki Yasuhiro took time out of his busy schedule to attend the meeting and explain the "Kitaryū Town Comprehensive Strategy 2025 (Draft)" among other things.
Greetings from Mr. Akimitsu Takada, Chairman of the Association
"Thank you for your hard work on the tour. We were able to see a lot of things. As we enter April, we can sense that planting will soon begin.
"We don't know what kind of year this year will be or what the weather will be like, but we want to do our best so that everyone in the Sunflower and Watermelon Producers Association stays healthy until the very end and can say that this was a good year. Thank you for your continued support," said Takada.
Greetings and toast: Mayor Sasaki Yasuhiro
"Previously, on Tuesday, March 18th, Akihiko Takada and Kosuke Sato came to the town hall and explained the guidelines for new farmers. I found it very well done and very interesting.
We have received requests for pamphlets and a website, and are considering them. We are trying to keep costs to a minimum for the association and make them available through subsidies from the town.
Sunflower watermelons are extremely high quality and delicious. We are thinking about how to deliver them across the country efficiently and strategically.
As a hint, Mr. Doi, who grows organic tomatoes, sends them to the city on the day they are harvested and puts them on display in the store on the same day. I would like to have a chance to talk to Mr. Doi someday and come up with a way to put sunflower watermelons on display in stores on the day they are harvested. Sunflower watermelons are really good, so it would be great if they spread to Tokyo. I hope to be able to talk to Hakuhodo in the future.
We also finished the posters for the Sunflower Festival. We had them made early this year so that we could carry them with us wherever we go and hand them out.
This time, our staff worked hard to create the "Hokuryu Town Comprehensive Strategy 2025 (draft)." Today, the national budget will be decided and the preliminary announcement will be made. It may be delayed from the 30th to the 31st. The budget is for a 2 billion yen project to receive 1 billion yen in funding from the national government.
Half of the project costs will be subsidized by the national government, and the remaining half will be received as a special grant from the national government. We are aiming to make the town's burden less than the usual budget.
I would like to hear from everyone at Himawari Watermelon about how they can come up with creative ideas and give us their suggestions on what they think we could do. There are many things we can do over the next five years, so I look forward to working with you.
I intend to draw a clear picture of Hokuryu Town's future 10 to 20 years from now. I am looking forward to seeing a good plan come to fruition with your input.
Now, regarding the construction of facilities for compulsory schools, the budget was stated as 5 billion yen in the newspapers. In reality, 2.5 billion yen will be for the compulsory school buildings, 1 billion yen for community centers, and other items. We will build it within the figure of 5 billion yen.
It is natural that you think the amount is high, and you may wonder whether it is really necessary to spend so much on building a community center, but we will make sure to establish a solid financial foundation.
Due to rising prices and rising building material costs, the amount may increase in the future. We will make cuts somewhere to make up for any future increases, and put together a budget that does not exceed 5 billion yen. We will plan to not overdo it, and to gracefully stop where we cannot. We will definitely impose financial restrictions, so please rest assured and keep watching.
We will create such facilities for the children, and a system that will generate profits for the town, as part of our comprehensive strategy. The basis of this is for everyone to earn a good income.
Please feel free to make suggestions.
"It is quite difficult to increase the town's population, but we would like to do our best to maintain the current situation, so we ask for your continued support," Mayor Sasaki said politely.
After the toast, Mayor Sasaki left the meeting, saying he would continue to give speeches and explanations at a separate venue.
Producers and other stakeholders enjoyed the delicious meat and had a lively discussion on a variety of topics.
The producers work hard together, checking on each other's seedling status and exchanging opinions on cultivation methods, all of which they do with love and care to produce sturdy, delicious, and magnificent "Sunflower Watermelons," with boundless love, gratitude, and prayer.
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◇ Photography, editing and website management: Noboru Terauchi Writer: Ikuko Terauchi
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