News Releases
May 8, 2024
Japan Apple Corporation Expands its orchard by 23ha
One of the largest high density planting apple orchards in Japan was established with about 55 ha
Promoting a sustainable apple industry in Aomori by increasing scale and efficiency
Japan Apple Corporation(Headquarter: Aomori-shi, Aomori Prefecture, President: Kunio Okuda, Shunsuke Nozawa) which was established as an apple production and marketing joint venture between Farmind Corporation (Headquarter: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Tatsuo Horiuchi, hereinafter "Farmind"), a comprehensive distribution company holding a nationwide cold chain for fruits and vegetables, and Nihon Agri, Inc.(Headquarter:Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Shouhei Naito), opened high density apple planting orchard at Kareizawa Area of Namioka, Aomori-Shi by using 23ha idle farmland. Hence it became one of largest high density apple planting orchard in Japan with about 55ha.
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| Nigoshizawa Yoshinoda orchord in Namioka, Aomori-shi, which ensure stable yields since the opening of the anchord |
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| Kareizawa orchord in Namioka, Aomori-shi, which was expanded this time |
Japan Apple Corporation expanded its orchard at Nigoshizawa Yoshinoda area of Aomori-shi, Aomori Prefecture from its establishment on May,2020. It started planting at its new orchard in Kareizawa from April,2024. We aim to expand scale together with increasing efficiency of production to actively engage in job creation in order to promote the agriculture model for sustainable production and activate the apple business in Aomori.
●Being one of the largest high density planting orchard in 3years after the opening on April, 2021
High density planting is a method expected for early and high yield, homogeneous production, labor saving which use smaller tree compared to the usual planting. Japan Apple Corporation expanded its apple orchard to be one of the largest in Japan this time because we believe that high density planting is one of the ways in which apple cultivation, Aomori's main industry, can be inherited to the next generation. We will continue to expand orchard, improve production efficiency, increase yield of apples with consistent quality and aiming for high profitability. Furthermore, we want to learn and grow together with other producers who want to maintain their yields for the next generation and create an apple industry system in Aomori.
●Mechanisation and digitazation for more efficient farming
Taking advantage of high-density planting with wide and simple working flow, we are improving mechanization actively to reduce the workload of planting and harvesting. Furthermore, we began to collect six meteorological data such as air temperature, humidity, illumination, rainfall, wind speed, barometric pressure and soil data such as soil temperature, soil moisture content, electric conductivity through digital sensor from 2023, and have been promoting the visualization of agricultural work combined with actual growing condition. Also continued standardizing operation to ensure the consistent quality and yields.
*Electric Conductivity: used as an indicator to determine the total amount of fertilizer in the soil. |
| Planting using truck |
●Creating diverse employment and make 'agriculture' as a profession with future
High-density planting can reduce workload by mechanization, inhence manualisatioin of work can be easily made. Everyone can participate, regardless of age or sex. We aim to establish 'agriculture', which is vulnerable to natural disasters as a stable profession and to expand its potentiality. Furthermore, we will continue to expand employment as farmland is expanded.
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| Staff of Japan Apple Corporation |
【Planting operations in high-density】
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