AICHI, Jun 05, 2026 –
Corn farmer Wataru Hikosaka in Tahara, Aichi Prefecture, says considerations proceed to mount as hovering fertilizer costs linked to tensions within the Middle East add to the challenges dealing with growers already coping with hurricane harm.
When visited on May twenty ninth, Hikosaka was carefully watching the trail of Typhoon Jangmi (Typhoon No. 6), which threatened his corn fields forward of the harvest season that begins in mid-June.
“I’ve been piling soil around the base of the corn plants to make them less likely to fall over,” Hikosaka mentioned. “Some have already been knocked down by the wind, but all I can do is hope they develop stronger roots and withstand the typhoon.”
Despite these efforts, some corn vegetation had been toppled by the storm. Hikosaka mentioned it stays unclear how a lot of the harm will be reversed earlier than harvest.
His considerations prolong past the climate. Fertilizer costs, a vital price for farmers, are rising sharply. In May, JA Zen-Noh introduced fertilizer value will increase as a result of affect of instability within the Middle East. Imported urea fertilizer, particularly, will rise by 14.5% beginning in June.
“The price of a 20-kilogram bag will increase by about 300 yen from June 1st,” Hikosaka mentioned. “Urea is a standard fertilizer used by most crops because plants need chlorophyll for photosynthesis.”
The increased prices are anticipated to have an effect on fertilizer functions from summer time by means of autumn for wheat, horticultural crops, and fruit bushes, inserting further strain on farmers throughout the nation.
“Seed costs have gone up, cardboard boxes have gone up, and fungicides and insecticides used for crop protection have also become more expensive,” Hikosaka mentioned. “The only thing that hasn’t gone up is the selling price.”
Asked whether or not the troubles ever finish, Hikosaka replied with a weary smile.
“They don’t,” he mentioned. “I’d just like some peace of mind.”
Source: CBC