{
  "id": 7509770,
  "title": "Farmers in east Japan city set to ship 70,000 autumn watermelons as demand rolls on",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/farmers-in-east-japan-city-set-to-ship-70-000-autumn-watermelons-as",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-15T08:29:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Mainichi",
    "slug": "the-mainichi",
    "url": "https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20260915/p2a/00m/0na/017000c"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "TOMISATO, Chiba -- The city of Tomisato, located in eastern Japan, is witnessing a surge in autumn watermelon cultivation due to strong post-summer demand and limited supplies, enabling farmers to command higher prices. JA Tomisato City, a local agricultural cooperative, anticipates shipping approximately 70,000 watermelons in September and October of this year, a near doubling of the volume from 2023. Hirokazu Suzuki, a 54-year-old local farmer, started growing autumn watermelons last year on a half-hectare plot of his land. Traditionally, Suzuki has sown watermelon seeds in January and February, harvesting the fruit in May and June, before resuming tomato cultivation. He has since substituted tomatoes with a second watermelon crop.\n\nSuzuki asserts that watermelons are easier to maintain compared to tomatoes, as they require less labor-intensive tasks such as removing side shoots. According to JA Tomisato City, autumn watermelons are cultivated as a secondary crop on fields that have previously produced spring and summer watermelons. Seeds are sown in June and July, with the fruit harvested in September and October. The plants grow during warmer months without the need for grafting, allowing for the consumption of the watermelons' natural flavor. Farmers can also recycle agricultural materials like plastic sheets from previous crops, a significant advantage in light of rising costs for farming materials.\n\nJapan's watermelon shipping season commences with produce from Kyushu in April, followed by shipments from various growing regions across the country. This nationwide supply chain begins to dwindle in autumn, leading to tighter supplies. Consequently, autumn watermelons command a price 10% to 20% higher than their spring and summer counterparts. While some Tomisato farmers have traditionally grown watermelons in autumn, heightened demand has prompted JA Tomisato City to promote the practice under the name \"Tomisato autumn watermelons.\" This year, 55 farmers are cultivating autumn crops, representing nearly a quarter of all watermelon farmers in the city. Suzuki, who serves as a deputy director of JA Tomisato City's watermelon division, expressed the hope that Tomisato autumn watermelons will become a beloved autumn taste, akin to grapes and pears.",
  "summary": "TOMISATO, Chiba -- Autumn watermelon cultivation is expanding in this eastern Japan city, one of the country's leading watermelon-producing areas, as",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}