Climate change facilitates sweet potato cultivation in Hokkaido

Climatic shifts are having a significant impact on the agricultural sector of Hokkaido. While southern Tohoku was previously considered the northern limit for large-scale sweet potato cultivation, rising temperatures now make it possible to produce this crop in more northern latitudes. The first attempts to introduce this new crop in Obira, in the northern part of Hokkaido, were made three years ago.

Farmers are receiving support from agricultural cooperatives. JA Rumoi notes that adapting to new weather conditions is a more rational strategy than attempting to resist them. An important factor in choosing sweet potatoes was their relative labor efficiency, which is highly relevant given the aging rural population.

New types of products are being developed based on the locally grown sweet potato harvest. In particular, the production of sweet potato shochu has been established on a trial basis. According to representatives of the Kiyosato Shochu Distillery, changes in climate and production structure require local communities to be flexible and seek new directions, which could ultimately change the variety of products on Japanese dinner tables.