It is quite difficult to grow strawberries all year round. Akita Prefecture is taking on this difficult task. Strawberries shipped from winter to the following spring are winter-spring strawberries. Strawberries harvested from June to November are summer-autumn strawberries. Winter-spring strawberries are less likely to flower or flower late if the temperature continues to be high. For this reason, seedlings are usually planted after September to avoid high temperatures. Shipping begins in earnest around December when Christmas demand increases, and peaks in March of the following year. The trading price was 1,379 yen per kg in March, the peak shipping season. At the peak, supply increases and prices fall. The price in December was 2,504 yen. What was surprising was that in October it was 3,691 yen, 2.7 times higher than in March. If we could ship summer-autumn strawberries to the market stably, we would have a big business opportunity.
The Akita Natsuhibiki Council is taking on the challenge of growing summer and autumn strawberries. Summer and autumn strawberries are difficult to cultivate, and most of them are imported. This period is the off-season for domestic producers. However, if high-quality winter and spring strawberries can be shipped to the market during this period, they can be sold at a high price. In the strawberry greenhouses of Katagami City, summer and autumn strawberries were growing before harvest. The producers of “summer and autumn strawberries,” which are harvested from summer to autumn, have almost established a cultivation method. After about two years of efforts, the producers of “summer and autumn strawberries” have almost established a cultivation method. The council aims to expand the cultivated land and harvest volume from 2026, and it seems that sales channels are also being developed.
In Akita Prefecture, the snowfall and low temperatures in winter have been deemed unsuitable for cultivating strawberries. Winter and spring strawberries require a lot of effort to keep an eye on temperature, humidity, and soil moisture in order to grow large, delicious strawberries. In addition, they are relatively susceptible to diseases, and it has been said that it is difficult to stabilize the harvest volume. However, it was decided that Akita’s climate and soil are suitable for summer/autumn strawberries. There is not as much competition between producing areas as there is for winter/spring strawberries, so it was decided that there was a business opportunity. The variety chosen was “Natsu no Shizuku.” “Natsu no Shizuku” has an excellent flavor, but establishing a cultivation method was a challenge. This issue was resolved with advice from the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization and Akita Prefectural University. A system has been introduced in which videos are used to clearly explain how to grow the strawberries from seedlings, including the structure of greenhouses and the application of fertilizers and pesticides. The manual will be concise and easy to understand, and will provide solid support to producers.
