Japan’s extreme heat hits harvestsーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS
Summer in Japan is known to be heavily humid and sweltering hot and the situation doesn’t seem to be any better this year. Weather officials say last month the country saw its hottest June on record. The severe conditions are not only dangerous, they are affecting other aspects of our lives, including at the dinner table. NHK World’s Taka Minori explains. Portable fans, parasol, must haves for a Japanese summer. And this one’s a scorcher. I feel the heat seeping through me. Temperatures have recently climbed above 35° C multiple days in a row, triggering the return of the Tokyo Sidewalk Shuffle, a standard dance at intersections. But it’s hard to escape the health risks. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency says last week the number of people in Japan taken to hospital due to heat stroke rose to 10,000. The intense heat takes a significant toll on the human body, but it’s also impacting what we eat. This supermarket is popular with foreigners for its quality selection of goods. The vegetable section is lined with fresh produce from various parts of the country. But the store manager says it’s been a struggle this summer to maintain their conditions. When the products are delivered, some of the vegetables actually come in already affected by the heat during transportation like lettuce and spinach. They especially suffer from heat damage. We take great care to provide products of a quality that customers can eat with peace of mind. What do you think of the actual taste and or the the quality? Amazing. Best in the world. Yeah, absolutely. No doubt about it. When you look around you, all the vegetables individually packed and the farmers take so much pride in what they do. I find the Japanese vegetables to be far superior to the United States and um a lot of the crops around our houses um they’re having some uh heat and water issues and um a lot of the crops are dying and they’re not able to keep up with them. So, it’s very sad. And then there’s the sticker shock. The agriculture ministry says Tokyo Central wholesale market prices are surging. Cucumbers, for example, have hit 368 yen or about 2.5 US per kilogram. That’s 32% above average. The ministry says the higher prices are due to unstable temperatures since the spring that are slowing down vegetable growth. Farmer Sato Takuya is seeing this firsthand. His city is known for being one of the largest producers of cucumbers in the country, but he says his crops are suffering. The 35° C heat day after day has burned the leaves, so the water inside evaporates quickly. The cucumbers dehydrate, and that causes them to curl up. Sato says he’s only been able to harvest about half the number of straight cucumbers compared to last year, and he says the curled ones are harder to pack, which then makes them harder to ship, adding to the costs. It makes me feel sad to see the cucumbers weakening. I hope the heat eases up soon and they straighten up again. Yamamoto Katsky faces a similar struggle in western Japan. He shared this photo of what his tomatoes look like. These days, not a pretty sight. Yamamoto has been farming for 24 years and this year he had plans to harvest about 600 kg. That number has dropped to zero. I’m shocked because this is the first time this has ever happened. I’m trying to change my mindset and just focus on what I might be able to do next year. Further drastic conditions are in the forecast, including torrential rains in some areas. From farm to fork, a tough season for all of us used to enjoying the quality produce this country has to offer. Pakodi, NHK World.
The scorching summer weather in Japan is damaging harvests. As Takao Minori explains, that’s pushing up the price of vegetables and affecting their quality. #japan #heatstroke #climate #nature #weather #environment
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