The harvesting of ‘Kentaro’ strawberries, characterized by their rich fruity flavor and sweetness, began on April 20 at the ‘Ichigo Bunko’ facility in the town of Toyoura in the Iburi region of central Hokkaido, where growers continue to be trained. Local Vitalization Cooperators who are aiming to become farmers, carefully picked the large, ripe strawberries by hand. It is also the harvest season for Kentaro strawberries on farms in the town.

　Harvesting began in the greenhouses of Ichigo Bunko at 7 a.m. on April 20. Most of the Kentaro strawberries weighed about 30 grams each, but some of the larger ones weighed more than 50 grams, and were packed into boxes according to shape and size.

A male cooperator said, “The freshly picked Kentaro are very large and juicy. I hope you will try them.”

　According to the Toyako Agricultural Cooperative (Toyako Town), there are around 20 strawberry farms in Toyoura. The harvest will continue until around June 20 but, because some of the greenhouses were damaged by heavy snowfall, this season’s crop is expected to be about the same or slightly smaller than last year’s crop of approximately 30 tons, which was about the same as a normal year’s harvest.