Japanese teaching organic rice farming in poor Indian region

May 6, 2019

Allahabad, India--Japanese experts are teaching organic farming of Japanese rice in Allahabad in a poor northern Indian region from more than 10 years ago.

Their efforts is beginning to bear fruit. Crop yields have become stable, and farmers are enjoying income growth.

Among the experts is Teruo Miura, who heads the Makino School of Continuing and Nonformal Education at Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences in Allahabad in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

In the rice project, Miura works with his peers at Allahabad Organic Agricultural Cooperative Society Ltd.

Uttar Pradesh has a population of more than 200 million. It is one of the poorest states in India.

Miura and others chose Japanese rice varieties because they were sold at far higher prices than in Japan and therefore considered promising as a new source of income for local farmers.

Demand was expected to grow. Middle-class consumers who eat Japanese food were increasing as the Indian economy expanded at an annual rate of 7 pct. In addition, about 9,000 Japanese live in the country.

The experts also thought that they would be able to add value by producing organic rice.

But the local climate was harsh. In Allahabad, temperatures stay above 30 degrees Celsius for much of the year and exceed 40 degrees between April and June.

They tried cultivating rice from the Kyushu region of southwestern Japan. This was unsuccessful as the plants grew tall too quickly

Among the varieties they tested, Hatsushimo from Gifu Prefecture and Akitakomachi from Akita Prefecture fared well.

Crop yields grew stable from 2013, and a total of 70 tons were harvested in 2018. This year, the output target is set at 135 tons.

According to Miura, local farmers were slow to listen to advice as they were accustomed to simple farming methods.

"They just casually sowed seeds and harvested crops. They didn't even weed," he said.

The Japanese taught locals to plant seedlings at intervals to ensure they are not overconcentrated. Many farmers dropped out of the project, seeing the Japanese method as troublesome, Miura recalled.

Meanwhile, a 30-year-old local farmer who is a member of the cooperative society enjoyed income growth by following the Japanese method.

Japanese organic rice sells for more than double the prices of local varieties, the farmer said, adding that the increased income allowed him to get his children into better schools.

Miura said he hopes the next generation after the current participants to the project "will go a step further and become able to find buyers on their own so that their business will be sustainable." Jiji Press