Mamoru Muta considers this an important year in determining whether a new variety of rice he is growing will take root as a product of Saga Prefecture.
The 61-year-old farmer in the city of Saga is cultivating the type called Sagabiyori, which the Saga Prefectural Government has developed with the aim of outclassing Kyushu's representative Hinohikari brand of rice. Its distinctive feature is its resistance to summer heat.
Muta is one of many farmers who are fighting an uphill battle against a steady decline in the consumption of Japan's traditional staple food. Per capita consumption of rice totaled 61.4 kg in fiscal 2007, nearly a 50 percent drop from 1965.