Japan: Mount Ontake eruption puts farmer profits in danger
Most of the damage appeared to hit the crop of “hakusai,” a Chinese cabbage. The cabbages, a local speciality known for their size and sweet taste, were just ready for harvest when the eruption occurred.
In parts of the town Kiso, and a nearby village of the same name to the northeast, volcanic ash has damaged about 18 hectares of farmland where hakusai is grown. Of the 32 cabbage farms in the area, 30 took damage.
Farmers now must peel off two or three more leaves than usual and wash the vegetables to remove ash before shipping.
“It takes us more than three times longer than usual to prepare for shipment,” a farmer said. “We’re short-handed. I can barely manage the situation even with extra help from my friends.”
An official with the Kiso Municipal Government meanwhile expressed concern that the aftereffects of the eruption might cause a “decline in (product) value.”
According to the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, fields that have been damaged by ash and debris caused by the eruption may require soil amelioration, which may affect farming activities and further damage the industry as a whole.
Source: japantimes.co.jp
