From farm to fork: Cultivation, postharvest and processing of strawberry in japan

Abstract

Strawberry cultivated in Japan widely known for its sweet and soft nature which regards as premium fruits in Japan. The objective of the present study was to give an overview of strawberry cultivation, and postharvest processing in selected manufacturers and farms in Nagano, and Hokkaido, Japan. The information was obtained through an interview session, and questionnaire distribution. Case study approach was used to obtain data. The cultivation of strawberries in Japan at the selected study area was mainly planted in the greenhouse under controlled temperature to maintain the quality and yield of strawberries. The strawberries in all the selected farm used manual grading process during the strawberry picking process. Processing of strawberries into other products was often done in small-scale by farmers and sold directly from the farm and distributed to other local seller and supermarket which portrayed “from farm to fork” practice. Strawberries processed into products such as jam, drinks and ingredients in bakery goods were labelled as premium products sold in special shops in Japan. Japan’s Strawberries and strawberry-based products produced by the larger manufacturer were able to penetrate the Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand market.