One liter of gasoline is subject to a consumption tax in addition to a tax of 53 yen, which is called a volatile oil tax. At a press conference after the Cabinet meeting on January 25, 2022, Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight Mr. Hagyuuda will implement price restraint measures to curb soaring fuel prices such as gasoline and kerosene for the first time. It would be great if people involved in agriculture could benefit from this as much as possible. If the industry itself is not lively, the future of Japan will be dark and we cannot entrust the holy Japan to the children of the future. Without mixed agriculture, Japan's development is unlikely. Looking at the changes in statistics, the gasoline price, which was 50 yen per liter as of April-August 1966, soared to 177 yen in 1982 after two oil shocks. After that, a reverse oil shock struck, and gasoline prices fell, but due to the effects of the subprime loan problem, they soared again in 2008. Immediately after that, the Lehman shock occurred and the situation was plummeting. After that, it will rise again, but it has fallen to 109 yen in March 2016 due to the US lifting the ban on crude oil exports. From the consumer's point of view, 1995-2005 was relatively cheap and stable until about 17 years ago. But what about now? Isn't the car away from the general public, especially young people, accelerating because of that influence? I personally like the constitution of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. for a long time. Especially in 1946, when bicycles were the main means of transportation. Mr. Soichiro HONDA, who met the power generation engine of a radio owned by the former Army, remembered his wife who went shopping far away and was conceived to use it as an auxiliary power for a bicycle. He seems to have converted about 500 engines into auxiliary engines for bicycles and put them on the market. With unprecedented convenience and a flood of orders, he quickly began developing his own engine, and in 1947 he introduced the A-type engine as the first product to bear the Honda name. Complete. The Japanese car industry that followed him is still great and should not be depressed.

The main production areas of ginger under the jurisdiction of JA Kochi Prefecture are the Kozai district, Niyodogawa district, Kochi district, and Kami district. Kochi Prefecture is the number one producer of this excellent agricultural product in Japan. After harvesting from October to November, it is stored in a constant temperature / humidity storage and shipped throughout the year. Kochi ginger, which is loved all over the world, has few fibers and is characterized by its firm texture and mellow taste. In addition, the strength of the aroma when grated illuminates its presence as a condiment. The storage method is not suitable for long-term refrigerated storage, so it is better to dry it until the skin turns white, wrap it in newspaper and place it in a cool and dark place, or grate it or cut it into small pieces and then freeze it. Greenhouse new ginger, but the main production areas are the Kobata district, Kochi district, and Tocho（Tsuchinari）district. New ginger cultivated in the house is produced by heating the inside of the greenhouse during the cold season, and it seems that it is harvested mainly from March to September while relaying the production area. Unlike ginger, which is on the market all year round, it is pure white and beautiful, and it stimulates your appetite even more. This excellent produce is characterized by a soft texture, mild spiciness and a rich aroma. Unlike ginger, it has less spiciness, so I think it is suitable for people who are not good at spiciness. Haruno Town, Kochi City is the main production area for new greenhouse ginger, and until last year, about 40 producers were cultivating 12 hectares. I hope that the supply and demand of agricultural products will catch up, the number of producers (farmers) will increase, and that it will contribute to the creation of attractive towns and Japanese agriculture.

【Product Name】

Large ginger

【Type】

Zingiber officinale

【Within the jurisdiction of】

Muroto City, Aki District Toyo Town, Nahari Town, Tano Town, Yasuda Town, Kitagawa Village, Umaji Village, Geisei Village, Aki City, Kami City, Kanan City, Nankoku City, Tosa District Tosa Town, Okawa Village, Nagaoka District Motoyama Town, Otoyo Town, Kochi City, Tosa City, Agawa District Ino Town, Niyodogawa Town, Takaoka District Sakawa Town, Hidaka Village, Ochi Town, Yusuhara Town, Tsuno Town, Nakatosa Town, Shimanto Town, Susaki City, Shimanto City, Sukumo City, Tosashimizu City, Kuroshio Town, Hata District, Otsuki Town, Mihara Village (JA Kochi Prefecture)

【Derived from the name】

It is said that the shape of the rhizome used for food resembles the shape when a person holds a hand. In China, it is written as “薑”, raw ones are “生薑”, and dried ones are “乾薑”.

【Features】

The origin of ginger is said to be tropical Asia, and it is used all over the world as a medicinal and spice. It is said that it was introduced to Japan from China before the 3rd century, and it is stated in the “Kojiki（It is generally said to be the oldest history book in Japan. According to the foreword, it was established when Yasumarnd Ono was compiled in Wado 5 (712 AD) and presented to Empress Genmei. It consists of three volumes, upper, middle and lower, and describes the article of Empress Suiko from the myth from the creation of heaven and earth.）（Teiki: 帝紀（A Chinese style description of everything from the throne of an emperor to the death of the emperor. Who was the predecessor, what was the name of the emperor, who was the empress, how many children were there, what was the nationally important event at that time, where is the imperial tomb, etc. Carefully listed.） / Kyuji: 旧辞（The myths, legends, and song stories before the reign of the emperor are described in a slightly broken Chinese style. In addition, the history books of each clan, which are said to be the basic materials of Kiki (Kojiki and Nihon Shoki).）” that it has been cultivated for a long time. When varieties of traditional ginger are classified according to size, they are roughly classified into O（Large）ginger, Chu（Medium）ginger, and Ko（Small）ginger, and when classified by cultivation / harvesting method, root ginger and leaf ginger are roughly classified into Ya ginger（gingerroot）. In Asia, it is often used mainly as spicy vegetables for cooking, sliced, finely chop and used for scenting fried food and food cooked by boiling, and also used as conditions for pieces of vegetables and grated ginger. There is. Ginger grilled pork is a very popular Japanese food menu, which plays a role in flavoring and sterilizing meat. I've also heard that ginger is used more often as a spice in Indian cuisine than onions and onions, which have a strong odor. On the other hand, in Europe and the United States, processed products such as ginger cookies, ginger bread, and ginger ale are common. Ginger is a vegetable grown in warm regions. In Japan, Kochi prefecture, Kumamoto prefecture, Chiba prefecture, etc. are the main production areas, and it seems that they are not cultivated much in the north of Kanto because the temperature is not suitable. Although it is distributed year-round, the leaf ginger circulation period is around June to August. Kochi Prefecture accounts for about 40% of the total shipment of ginger in Japan. It seems that root ginger is cultivated mainly in Kochi and Kumamoto prefectures, and leaf ginger is mainly cultivated in Chiba prefecture. With the spread of ginger in tubes, which is easy to handle, the market distribution volume of fresh ginger seems to be declining. Most of the imported products from overseas such as China and Thailand are processed products such as pickled ginger of sweet and sour ginger and red pickled ginger pickled in plum vinegar. It seems that “Zingiber siccatum”, which is used as a Chinese herbal medicine by drying ginger other than edible, has been exported from the Mikawa region and Omi（Omi ginger, which is said to have been introduced from Shiga prefecture to the Kanto region, is a representative variety of Zingiberaceae. The tubers are hypertrophied and weigh about 500 g to 1 kg. The appearance is pale yellow and shiny, and the meat quality is soft. It has a refreshing aroma, is less spicy and is easy to eat. Suitable for pickled ginger and condiments. For large ginger, the tubers cut by hand into 150-200 g pieces are dried for 2-3 days. It seems that it is good to plant the buds diagonally upward at a ridge width of about 70 cm, a spacing of about 20 cm, and a depth of 5 to 6 cm. When the shoots are growing, add fertilizer and earthing up, and lay straw because it is vulnerable to drying. The standard harvest time is from October to November when the foliage turns yellow, and the harvest season is from October to November.）in Aichi prefecture since the Meiji era. Besides being used as a spicy vegetable, it is also produced worldwide for medicinal purposes. The English ginger comes from the Sanskrit word “horn-shaped”, which seems to be derived from its shape resembling a deer antler. In cultivation, it seems essential to avoid continuous cropping in order to control Meloidogyne and Pythium myriotylum（It seems that it overwinters mainly in the form of follicles together with the damaged tissue and is transmitted to the soil. In addition, seed tuber transmission by diseased tubers is also performed. Secondary transmission is caused by zoospores released from the bacterial cells into the water, so it seems that it may occur frequently when the field is flooded. It is infected when the soil temperature is 15 to 20 ° C or higher, and it seems that the outbreak will increase if there is a lot of rainfall after the end of May. The first train in normal years is in the middle of June, but in the year when the soil temperature is high, the first train will be earlier. It seems to invade stems, tubers, roots and shoots. On the stem, water-soaked lesions appear on the ground and extend to the upper part. Later, the stem seems to turn light brown. The leaves turn yellow from the lower leaves, but the leaves remain open and appear to be withered. When the disease progresses rapidly, it seems that the ground area softens and rots and falls down. It seems that the stems often easily come off the rotting part of the ground when the diseased strain is pulled. It seems that the tubers initially develop light brown and then brown depressed lesions. When young tubers are often infected and the disease progresses rapidly, it seems to soften and rot. However, it seems that the parent tuber is less corrupt. Under moist conditions, it seems that cotton candy-like white hyphae are formed on the surface of the damaged part. It seems preferable to use disease-free seed tubers as needed. Even if the seed tubers are taken from a field where no symptoms are observed in the above-ground part, the tubers in the underground part may be affected. If there are spots, it is preferable not to use it as a seed tuber. Take sufficient drainage measures such as raising the ridges and preventing the inflow of water from the outside. Strive to detect the diseased strain at an early stage. If the disease is found, remove the diseased strain and several strains around it, and isolate the diseased part with a partition with ridges and vinyl coating. In addition, it seems better to avoid continuous cropping in the field where the disease has occurred once, and if possible, do not grow the same crop for 3 years.）. Returning to the story a little, ginger is characterized by being imported in various forms, and it seems that the amount of imports in recent years has been stable at around 80,000 tons. According to the import statistics for 2018, fresh ginger was 25,520 tons, salting ginger was 15,378 tons, dried ginger was 653 tons, vinegar-prepared ginger was 17,848 tons, and other prepared ginger was 27,669 tons. I heard that processed products such as salting and vinegar preparation are used for pickled ginger and red pickled ginger. Looking at the import destinations, it seems that most of the salting ginger is Thailand and China, and the rest is mostly China. The export destination of fresh food is not stable, but it seems that most of the other adjusted ginger is destined for Hong Kong, the United States, and Vietnam. Former JA Shimanto (now JA Kochi Prefecture) is located in the Kubokawa area and Nakatosa Town (Nakatosa Town and Ono in December 2005) in Shimanto Town (the merger of Kubokawa Town, Taisho Town and Towa Village in March 2006). The Onomi area (which was merged with Mimura) was in the jurisdiction. The Kubokawa area, where the former JA headquarters was located, is located in the western part of Kochi prefecture, and has a coastal area with a beautiful coastal beauty and a Konandai plateau at an altitude of about 230 m. It seems that it was the center of economy, industry, transportation, and culture in the Takahata area, which points to the southwestern part of Kochi prefecture. The area has a large temperature difference between day and night, and is a plateau in a cool and dense fog-prone area, so it is considered to be a suitable place for rice cultivation, and it is one of the prefecture's leading rice-growing areas that produces high-quality rice called “Niida Rice”. In addition, open-air ginger, facility gardening such as garlic, peppers, and Japanese ginger, and livestock such as pig farming, dairy farming, and beef cattle are also popular. Kochi Prefecture seems to have the largest production of ginger in the open field in Japan. Among them, the Kubogawa area is the largest ginger producing area in the prefecture because it is suitable for cultivating high-quality ginger due to fertile cultivated land, heavy fog, and heavy rain in summer, and has a well-established production base. In addition, cultivation efforts have been introduced as crops for conversion due to the decrease in rice cultivation, and it seems that they reached their peak in the 1970s. However, due to the aging of the population and the slump in prices due to the rapid increase in imported ginger mainly from China, it seems that the status quo is currently maintained or is on a slight decline. The varieties cultivated are Large ginger of strains such as Tosa No. 1 and Cambodia, which are suitable for conventional cultivation. Before planting, it seems that the ginger harvested the previous year is taken out of the storage and divided by hand, and about 2 gall (about 200 g) is planted in April as one plant. From June to July, when the plant grows, earthing up and laying straw. And it seems that irrigation will be done from July to September. Ginger has an excellent bactericidal effect peculiar to it, but it is a very delicate plant in itself, and it seems that if you use river water directly, you will get sick. For this reason, I heard that groundwater is pumped up and irrigated with sprinklers. It seems that the tuber tends to get bigger if you give plenty of water. Harvest is from late October to early November due to frost. The harvest seems to pull the stems and dig up the ginger. In recent years, the number of mechanical harvests has increased, and it seems that the stems are rolled up and dug with a dedicated harvester. It seems that about 200 grams of parental ginger can produce 2 kg of large ginger from one plant. It seems that ginger harvested in the fall will be temporarily stored in the storage. Sales at JA will be carried out through JA Kochi Prefecture (formerly Kochi Prefectural Horticultural Federation), and from January to December of the following year, the product stored in a low-temperature warehouse as “enclosed ginger” will be sold in the sales plan. It seems that it will be shipped and sold to markets all over the country. It seems that fully matured ginger can be stored for over a year at a temperature of around 14 ° C and appropriate humidity. Shipment seems to be in small packages of 100g and 130 g trays and bags called 4 kg cardboard and shrink.  Previously, cardboard shipments were the mainstream, but in recent years, shrink shipments, which are strongly inquired by mass retailers such as supermarkets, have come to account for about 80%. At JA's shipping site, workers carefully put kitchen knives one by one after washing them with water and finish them from raw materials to products. Members of the Ginger Producers Department are obliged to fill in the production ledger (production history) and submit it to JA, and it seems that they have a system that can respond instantly to inquiries from consumers. In addition, the Kochi Prefectural Agricultural Products Safety Inspection Center conducts a pesticide residue inspection of ginger every month, and in addition to ensuring proper use of pesticides on a daily basis, we respond to consumer demands for safety and security by undergoing strict inspections by third parties. Seems to be there. Ginger seems to have entered Japan as a crude drug that is indispensable for Chinese herbal medicine. The Chinese name is “Shonchan”, and it is still mixed with many Chinese herbs. By the way, in China, it seems to have been used for the treatment of antitussive, expectorant, antitussive, antipyretic, detoxification, digestive function recovery, abdominal pain, stomach pain and so on. These benefits are due to the spicy zingerone（C11H14O3）and shogaol（C17H24O3）, the scented cineole（C10H18O）, zingiol（C17H26O4）, and zingiberene（C15H24）. Tosa's “Igosso” (a dialect that means “stubborn person” in Kochi language) has an aging-suppressing effect on ginger made with great care and dedication. There seems to be. Ginger has a strong stake-oxidizing effect peculiar to it, and is said to prevent the oxidation of blood and intracellular lipids. It also seems to protect the body from active oxygen, which is a cause of aging. It is effective for poor circulation and diet, and it has the effect of burning fat in the body because it dilates blood vessels and improves blood circulation, which improves the coldness of females and raises the body temperature by 1 to 2 degrees.

Depending on the size, it is classified into Large ginger (Hachiro, Omi, etc.), Medium ginger (Boshu, Rakuda, etc.), and Small ginger (Native species, Yanaka, Madare, Sunshu, etc.). “Tosa No. 1” is a native species of Kochi prefecture and seems to be produced in many prefectures. Shin-Kochi, Bio, and Hachiro are selected from Doza No. 1 and are the original varieties of the Yatsushiro Agricultural Cooperative (JA Yatsushiro) in Kumamoto Prefecture.

Stretch packaging refers to packaging in which a polyethylene stretch film is wrapped around the sides of an article on a pallet while applying tension to prevent the load from collapsing. Stretch film was developed in the 1980s. With the advent of stretch packaging, even products with a large palletized volume do not require a large shrink tunnel, and by winding the object in multiple layers with a small packaging machine, it can have the same function as shrink packaging. It looks like it was done. I heard that stretch packaging uses a film made of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). The mascot character, Ginger Shota-kun, is the work of the late Takashi Yanase.

Ecosystem cultivation refers to a method of growing vegetables by reducing the burden on the environment as much as possible without relying on chemically synthesized pesticides as much as possible. It seems that pest control includes predation using insects, which are natural enemies, creating an environment where insects cannot see, and suppressing the outbreak of pests by putting an ultraviolet cut film on them. The cultivation method recommended by Japan is called “specially cultivated agricultural products” and “ecosystem cultivation” together with “eco（ecology）-vegetables in Kochi”.