Rice harvested but not for use

October 7, 2014

Test rice harvested in Fukushima

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html

Oct. 7, 2014 - Updated 09:30 UTC+2

Rice grown on a trial basis in a restricted area in Fukushima prefecture has been harvested.

In May, Hitomebore brand rice was planted on a 25-are paddy in the town of Okuma to determine whether farming can resume, after the land was decontaminated.

On Tuesday, about 10 farmers and town officials carefully harvested the rice with sickles.

One of the farmers, Kanichi Hasegawa, said he has mixed feeling because they cannot eat the rice even after they harvest it. He added he hopes the test results will help the region recover.

Okuma town official Yoshiyuki Takeuchi said he hopes the outcome will help the residents take a step toward returning home.

The rice will be dried for about 2 weeks and then tested for radiation. It cannot be shipped or consumed and the entire crop will be thrown out.

About 800 hectares of rice was grown in Okuma town before the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. But all the residents have been relocated and no crops are grown in the town now.