Kitaurago's production methods: Specially cultivated and pesticide-free Akitakomachi rice

July 21, 2022

*Koshihikari, the northernmost variety of rice → Currently, this is not available, so this is a concrete example of the production method of specially grown, pesticide-free Akitakomachi rice.

We have received a shipment of Koshihikari rice produced in the northernmost part of Japan, as far as I know , from a producer of pesticide-free Komachi rice.We have named it "Northernmost Koshihikari."

The production area is Kakunodate Town, near Lake Tazawa, Akita Prefecture's largest tourist destination.

We also import Koshihikari rice from Yokote City, Akita Prefecture, a little further south, but this rice is grown using 40% less pesticides and no chemical fertilizers, according to Akita Prefecture standards.

On the other hand, the northernmost rice uses more than 50% less pesticides and more than 80% less chemical fertilizers, and has been certified as "specially cultivated rice."

(The certification requirement is a reduction of more than 50% in both pesticides and chemical fertilizers.)


・Differences in certification systems

Specially cultivated agricultural products are those whose use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers has been reviewed and approved by a certification body commissioned by the local government .

A representative will come twice a year to review documents and conduct an on-site inspection.

"Organic JAS" is inspected to see if it meets the JAS standards set by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (national government).

In particular, we will strictly observe that "no pesticides or chemical fertilizers have been used on the farmland or surrounding area for the past three years or more ."

In Japan, only agricultural products that meet these standards can be labeled as "organic." Without this certification, products cannot be labeled as "organic."

Our company's product, "pesticide-free Koshihikari brown rice" from Ishikawa Prefecture, is unmistakably organic. While organic products from China and Thailand are questionable, this product is organic and can be sold anywhere in the world.

It's amazing that they've maintained that standard for over 30 years, since the bubble era , not just three years .

Without the use of pesticides, it's difficult to control insects and weeds. Without chemical fertilizers, yields are unstable. If disease strikes, the entire crop is sure to die. In other words, organic farming involves the same amount of risk and effort as in the Edo period, which is why it's so expensive.

When it comes to special cultivation, the big difference is that even if no pesticides are used, the usage is on a yearly basis and the surrounding environment is not a factor.

For example, even if a wife does not smoke, her husband's smoking does not qualify her as a smoker due to passive smoking under special cultivation, while it does qualify her as a smoker under organic JAS.

To be certified as a non-smoker, you must not have been exposed to passive smoking for more than three years, which is a pretty strict requirement. Ishikawa Koshi has been in that position for 30 years.

To reiterate, "Hokugen no Koshihikari" is specially cultivated rice. Our rice varieties that have been certified as such are Akita Komachi, Tsuyahime, Milky Queen, and Pesticide-Free Komachi.


・Elite seedlings

Normally, rice seedlings are raised collectively in seedling trays, but "Hokugen" rice seedlings are not raised in seedling trays, but in individual plots (pots) that are separated into many sections .

More specifically, regular seedling trays grow 400 plants in one section, while potted seedlings grow one plant per 400 sections.

Of course, the latter is more expensive and cumbersome.

However, if you raise them in this way when they are young, their roots will develop well and they will have a strong ability to absorb nutrients from the ground .

This will give the plant strong legs and hips that will not fall over even when the wind blows or when the fruit is ripe .

Therefore, compared to regular rice, it is said that even if one rice plant produces 1.3 to 2 times as many ears, it will not fall over.

Moreover, because each grain is large and heavy, the yield does not decrease even if pesticides are reduced and the crop is grown at a low density to prevent disease.

In this way, the roots of a plant are like the legs and hips of a human body, or the unwavering will of a human mind, and are the foundation of a person's personality.

This is why Koshihikari can grow even in the northernmost part of Japan, early in the fall. The grains are a size larger than Yokote Koshihikari, each heavier and plumper than the other varieties.

Ishikawa's pesticide-free Koshi rice is even larger and plumper than the northern limit rice ( although the sorting size of the rice is different).

Although they are all Koshihikari, it's interesting to compare the taste of the three varieties of Inazo Koshi. They seem to be different varieties.

( If someone told me that it's the same as Don Quijote's 5kg for $25 or 2kg for $9.90, I'd lose confidence and quit working at the rice store...)

By the way, pesticide-free Komachi is produced by the same producer as Hokugen Koshi using the same method. This rice is also slightly larger and plumper than the "Specially Cultivated Rice Akita Komachi."

In conclusion, after eating them, I realized that even the same seeds can have very different flavors depending on how they are grown . Just like humans, plants are living creatures that depend on their environment.

All Kitagen Koshi rice, ranging from 2 to 10 kg, is shipped in 2 kg bags with a "specially cultivated rice" label attached.