Japan's Kumamoto quake leaves deep scars on agriculture with damage costing $119 million

Kumamoto Prefecture, a leading producer of tomatoes, watermelons, and rushes in Japan, suffered significant agricultural damage following the July 28 earthquake. The city of Yatsushiro, a major tomato-producing area, reported that the earthquake damaged irrigation canals, cutting off the water supply to farmland. Emergency repairs were underway, but the volume of water flowing through canals remained limited.

As planting of tomato seedlings begins in mid-August, many farmers, like Yatsushiro resident Kenta Ueda, expressed concern over the lack of water for irrigation. The earthquake also affected rice production, with farmer Tatsuyoshi Hirakida struggling to keep his paddies filled with water. Rushes, used to make tatami mats, were also impacted, with a farmer losing his loom and home due to collapsed structures.

Pears farmers, like Makoto Inada, reported that 80% to 90% of their fruit fell from the trees during the earthquake. Leaf tobacco farmer Yoichi Yonemura faced a loss of 500,000 to 600,000 yen due to a power outage that delayed the drying process. The total agricultural damage was estimated at approximately 19 billion yen ($119 million).