Tomato-growing in Fukushima

September 4, 2014

JR East enters tomato-growing business to help rebuild Fukushima

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201409040045

By SHIMPEI DOI/ Staff Writer

IWAKI, Fukushima Prefecture--East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) and an agricultural co-op on Sept. 4 set up a joint company to produce tomatoes and help revitalize the area devastated by the March 2011 disaster.

JR Tomato Land Iwaki Farm plans to grow the tomatoes with high sugar content in a 17,000-square-meter plant. Computers will be used to control the environmental conditions, including temperature, humidity, sunlight and carbon dioxide concentrations.

The companies’ annual target is 600 tons of tomatoes from 2016. By using direct sunlight, they can reduce the amount of electricity used for artificial light.

The tomatoes will be sold at produce shops inside JR stations and used by eateries and hotels operated by JR East group companies.

“Agriculture could be a way to reinvigorate the locality,” Tetsuro Tomita, president of JR East, told reporters. “We want to help (local agriculture) develop into a growing industry.”

JR East said it hopes the vegetable growing business will generate a stable profit and help expedite reconstruction from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.

Agricultural co-op Tomato Land Iwaki in Fukushima Prefecture provided 50 percent of the investment in the new company, while JR East supplied 49 percent and five local farmers covered the remaining 1 percent.

JR East will provide funds for the new plant.