Only 20% of the rice harvest can be called Ten-ei rice
Ten-ei-mura, Iwase-gun, in the central part of Fukushima Prefecture, is known as a rice-growing area. Ten years ago, a group of volunteer rice farmers got together to form the Ten-ei Rice Cultivation Study Group. Aiming to improve the taste and quality of rice, they have been working to cultivate rice using special cultivation and organic cultivation. The group boasts a record of being the only one in Japan to win the gold medal for nine consecutive years at the “International Rice and Taste Analysis Competition*,” a competition for rice taste.
(*) This is a taste evaluation contest for new rice sponsored by the Association of Rice and Taste Analysts, which has been held since 2000. Since the 10th contest, it has become an international competition and is highly acclaimed both in Japan and abroad.
In early autumn, Hidetoshi Nakata visited Ten-ei Village, which was in the midst of its harvest season. Yoshio Madarame, chairman of the Ten-ei Rice Cultivation Research Association, took him on a tour of the village’s prized rice fields. Is this Koshihikari rice? What is the yield? We continue our questioning, hearing that the market price in this area is 8 to 10 bales per hectare. Mr. Nakata smiled at Mr. Ikarume, who rolled his eyes and said, “You know a lot about rice. I’ve always loved rice, and I’ve learned so much about it that I’m now a “rice listener. The members of the study group’s members’ voices instantly softened the mood of the room. The Ten-ei Rice Cultivation Study Group was established in 2008. Mr. Ikarame reveals that the deregulation of rice distribution was the initial impetus for the group’s establishment.
Since then, the group has been engaged in special cultivation and organic rice cultivation through trial and error. Among their signature rice products, “Kampo Environmental Farming Ten-ei Rice” uses Kampo as an organic fertilizer and paper mulch rice transplanters as a weed control measure. Mr. Ikarume proudly states, “We do not use any pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or herbicides, and we take our time and care to cultivate our rice. Growing rice without pesticides requires more than twice as much work. The harvest is only about 60% of what it used to be. Even so, when you eat the rice, the difference is obvious. I believe it is worth the effort.
Representing the rice farmers of Fukushima, the team won the gold award for the first time in two years.
On the other hand, in order for the value of the rice to be widely recognized, it is necessary to have it evaluated by a third party. With this in mind, the research group has continued to enter its rice in the world’s largest rice competition, the International Rice Evaluation and Taste Analysis Competition. The result was a gold medal for the ninth consecutive year. This record is the reason why Ten-ei rice is known as the best rice in the world.
After the Great East Japan Earthquake, he suffered from harmful rumors and almost gave up farming. Still, they did everything they could to decontaminate the soil using zeolite and purify the water. Their efforts bore fruit, and the rice harvested in the fall was undetectable for radioactive materials. The rice harvested in the fall was found to be radiation-free, extending the record of consecutive gold medals at the contest. However, last year, when the gold medal was on the line for the 10th consecutive year, the lack of sunshine due to the long rains had an adverse effect on the rice. The team fell just short of the gold medal and received the Special Excellence Award.
Although the record of consecutive years has been broken, this year they hope to win the Gold Award for the 10th time no matter what it takes. The people of Ten-ei Village are cheering for the people of Fukushima Prefecture to improve the image of their agricultural products. Mr. Nakata is also focusing on ideas to support the people of Ten-ei Village, who are looking forward to the future.
If we win the 10th gold medal, why don’t we change the packaging to a design with stars in a row?
The results of the competition will be announced at the end of November. The date of the contest will be announced at the end of November, and the time is getting closer every second.
