The rice planting season has started again this year in Central Hokkaido’s Sorachi region, the most abundant rice production area in Hokkaido. On May 12, the earliest date throughout the entire Japan Agricultural Cooperatives Bibai area, work began in the rice paddies operated by a rice farmer named Abe in Chashinai, Bibai.

Emitting a pleasantly satisfying sound, the rice transplanter machine lined the rice paddy with eight rows of approximately 12-centimeter-tall seedlings of the “Oborozuki” strain of rice that have been cultivated in greenhouse space since late April. The sky was beautifully clear and the high temperature was 17.2 degrees Celsius, 6.2 degrees higher than the high of the previous day. It was the perfect day for productive rice-planting and reminiscent of last year, which culminated in an abundant harvest after a long succession of wonderful summertime weather. Abe commented, “I want to grow a lot of delicious rice for consumers to enjoy.”

Last year, rice planting across the entire Sorachi region, including rice for processing, was the largest across all of Hokkaido at 44,700 hectares.