Harvesting for the wintertime asparagus “Fuyuhime” (Winter Princess) has entered its peak season in northern Hokkaido’s Bihoro Town. Taking advantage of the regional attributes of a high sunshine volume and large temperature differences, this asparagus has been branded as a high-class food product in wintertime, when Japanese grown asparagus is almost completely not in circulation.
Dormant asparagus roots that were originally planted in an outdoor field are dug up in autumn and stored at a low temperature. Then, the new sprouts are grown inside a greenhouse. The asparagus is cultivated by four farms, the municipal Bihoro Mirai Agriculture Center, and Bihoro High School. The harvest is expected to be approximately 1.2 tons, which is around the same as last year. Asparagus will be shipped to markets in Sapporo, Asahikawa, and Kitami and sold at the high price of about 3,000 yen per 1 kilogram. Harvesting will continue until late-January of next year.