Japanese Farming corporation GRA Inc celebrated the first anniversary of its strawberry farm Ichigo World.
GRA is the recipient of 50 million yen (US$0.40 million) in support funds from the Mitsubishi Corporation Disaster Relief Foundation (MCDRF), which complements grants already obtained from Abukuma Shinkin Bank, a local financial institution.
GRA was founded shortly after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of March 2011 to help the economic revival in Yamamoto-cho.
Prior to the earthquake, Yamamoto-cho was the largest strawberry producing area in all of Tohoku, but their fields suffered extensive damage during the tsunami, destroying the town’s main livelihood.
Drawing on the information technology service management expertise of its founder, GRA worked in collaboration with local farmers to establish facilities to produce high quality strawberries for sale across Japan.
GRA also produces Migaki-Ichigo Mousseux brand of sparkling wine made from strawberries.
The brand plans to produce 20 tons of strawberries a year, with a target to 50 thousand bottles of its sparkling wines, and 30 thousand units of canned sparkling wine, to be marketed as Migaki-Ichigo Canette.
The initiative serves as a model for ‘sixth industry’ agriculture, as it seeks to turn out high value-added products from agricultural commodities.
After the opening of the facility, which hires five local farmers, GRA has also been proactive in developing a support project for farmers through the creation of a farmers’ franchise.
More than four years have passed since the disasters hit Tohoku in 2011, but recovery in Miyagi Prefecture and other affected areas is far from complete.
MCDRF’s support to GRA is part of its aim to help boost economic revitalization and generate employment in these areas.
The Foundation intends to continue collaborating with local financial institutions such as Abukuma Shinkin Bank to support efforts aimed at industry revitalization and employment creation, and overall economic recovery in areas affected by the disasters.
