MENSCHEN INTERNATIONAL
MENSCHEN INTERNATIONAL Japan BiG IN JAPAN How can it be that a country where rice production plays an important role with cropland generally very scarce is, at the same time, one of the most important markets for selfpropelled forage harvesters? Research there by reporters from “traction” magazine solves this puzzle for us. Anyone thinking of agriculture in Japan has paddy fields first in mind. Hardly anyone imagines large-scale dairy farms, machinery rings with self-propelled forage harvesters and mowers. But this is exactly what you come across on Hokkaido, the northernmost as Japan’s main islands. This lies at around latitude 43°N, about the same level of southern France, Tuscany or the Balkans. However, as it is an island in the North Pacific washed by cold sea currents, the climate tends to be rather cool (annual average 8.2°C), comparable more with the north 14
more common grass, the weather allows only a maximum of two cuts per season, in June and September. NEW BLOOD A PROBLEM Even although agriculture in Japan, and especially in Hokkaido, is highly respected within the population, there’s a real problem in encouraging younger generations into the sector – as in many other parts of the globe. Average farmer age is 64. Every year, the number of farms reduces by 4%. With young people, a career in farming is just not “hip”, a problem known all too well throughout industrial countries. of the US or southern Canada, areas also lying between latitudes 40 and 45 N. This also means that winters are long, sometimes lasting right into May, with lots of snow – in total about 4 m of the white stuff. Average precipitation is a plentiful 1100 mm per year. For the above reasons Hokkaido tends to be unsuitable for rice cultivation compared with the main central islands of Japan. Neither is it a typical arable region. The relief map is characterised by ranges of mountains and hills. So farmers are left with the options of livestock raising and grass husbandry, rural skills that are highly regarded in the region. You see this right away getting off the ‘plane at the local airport of Nakashibetsu, with regional dairy products proudly presented on the premises. Vegetables are also grown in many parts of this island. Alongside concentrates, grass silage is the main feed for cattle. Growing period for maize is generally too short here, with just 75 - 85 days. However, small maize fields are seen here and there. With the Masashi Yasuda found his happiness in farming, running an 80 ha dairy farm only a few kilometres out of Nakashibetsu. “200 cows, 95 of them in-milk, are in my barns. Average milk production: 10,000 l/year.” He belongs to a machinery ring with members farming a total 300 ha. The society runs a BiG X 650 with 3m pickup for the first silage cut over about one third of the land area. But the larger proportion of forage is baled as grass silage by round balers. “We have two cuts per year whereby average yield is about 20 t fresh weight per ha,” explains Yasuda. At harvest, dry matter content (dm) is around 30% and chop length 13 mm. The low dm means silage additive is usually added in the clamp. Wilting depends on the weather and there’s often only half a day for this. On the few forage maize fields, the climate also means that only 50 t/ha can be carted home. Hereby, none 15
