Agricultural Production Corporation
Minami AgriSystem is a farm located in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. The climate of the island is relatively cool. The fields are about 115 hectares and produce potatoes, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, and wheat.
Hokkaido is the second largest island in Japan after Honshu. The area is about the same as Austria, twice the size of the Netherlands. People from Honshu started cultivating in Hokkaido around 1870. Hokkaido currently has 1.15 million hectares of agricultural land, which accounts for one-quarter of the entire cultivated land in Japan. Among the food produced in Hokkaido, wheat, sweet corn, beets, potatoes, onions, and milk have the top domestic market share.
Hokkaido also has a rich natural environment. Shiretoko is registered as a World Natural Heritage Site, and Niseko is a tourist resort where you can enjoy outdoor sports. Visitors come from all over the world.
Sobetsu Town, where Minami AgriSystem is located, is one of Hokkaido's leading tourist destinations. Nearby are Lake Toya, Mt. Usu and Showa Shinzan which are recognized as UNESCO Global Geoparks.
Minami AgriSystem has been making vegetables with affection in this land since representative Kazutaka Minami’s grandfather’s time. Currently, we use machines efficiently for large-scale production, but what we continue to value is our commitment to quality. Focusing on environmental consideration as well as the safety and trustworthiness of our produce, we are working on a production method certified as “specific cultivation” with the least possible use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. With confidence, we can say that our farm produce is delicious.
Delicious, safe, and trusted farm produce starts with the creation of healthy soil. Our crops grow healthy and delicious in a well-balanced environment. Much like in a healthy human body, various natural and useful bacteria play an active role. Minami AgriSystem uses high-quality compost, green manure, and original organic amino acid fertilizer. We carefully observe and analyze our soil as well as the growth and taste of crops, and make every effort to maintain an optimal balance of vital soil at all times.
Since 2015, collaborating with fruit and vegetable companies and local farmers, the farm has been engaged in contract cultivation in which fruit and vegetable companies are responsible for harvesting the broccoli produced. In order to assist young, regional farmers with taking on the challenge of growing new crops, we started a contractor business in 2020 providing an onion nursery and harvesting.
Furthermore, we are working on a business that processes and sells farm produce in-house so that we can achieve stable farming through stable management. In 2020, we launched a joint venture to start the construction of a factory. We are preparing an onion processing business in 2021. By chopping and sauteing, non-standard onions can be used without being wasted.
While Japanese agriculture is facing competition from globally imported farm produce, there are various domestic issues such as the aging of farmers, a shortage of successors, and a shortage of field workers.
We will play a role in ensuring that not only our farm but also our local colleagues can work together in a stable farming environment to pass on agricultural knowledge and farmland to our next generation.
