The Yamagata Prefecture, a notable decline in the number of cherries produced is being reported. This indicates an important decrease in the production of this local specialty. The yield for this year is expected to drop below 9,000 tonnes which is the lowest level since over three years. The news was announced at the Aug. 29 meeting of prefectural officials. They pointed out the reduction of 33 percent from the year before and reduction of 35 percent compared with the yield average.

The decrease in production can be due to the high temperatures that have been that have been observed since mid-June. This leads to a rapid ripening process and a short the harvest time. As a result, sales as well as the value of the cherries have experienced a substantial reduction, with specific varieties such as Sato-Nishiki and the Beni-Shuho seeing declines of 56 percent and 66 percent in both cases. The effect of this decreased output and sales has also been experienced by dealers in the field having to decline numerous shipping requests. This has raised concerns over the future shift to Yamagata cherries.

Source: The Asahi Shimbun