Okayama

Okayama is located between the Chugoku region mountains and the Seto Inland Sea, with mountains occupying about 70% of the prefecture's land. The annual average temperature is about 16℃, and the annual precipitation is about 1,100 mm, making it one of the regions with the least rain in Japan, known for its high number of sunny days. The number of days with less than 1 mm of precipitation is about 277 days per year, ranking 1st nationally (Japan Meteorological Agency normal value 1991-2020), providing favorable sunlight conditions that increase the sugar content of agricultural products. In the alluvial plains formed by the 3 major rivers of Asahigawa, Takahashi, and Yoshii, multiple-farming of paddy rice, fruit trees, and vegetables is developed, mainly around Okayama City, Kurashiki City, and Soja City. Reclaimed land in the south facing the Seto Inland Sea is highly utilized for agriculture, and greenhouse horticulture taking advantage of the mild climate is also prominent. In the Tsuyama Basin in the north, high-quality agricultural products are produced utilizing the temperature difference, and a diverse production area structure with different item compositions between mountainous areas and plains is a characteristic of Okayama agriculture. It is highly evaluated as a fruit tree production area, and in particular, white peaches and grapes are known as national brand production areas.

Source: MAFF Crop Statistics (Reiwa 5 / 2023), JMA historical weather data

Fruit tree agriculture in Okayama operates on a structure of '2 pillars: white peaches and grapes', and these 2 items greatly drive the fruit tree sector of the prefecture's agricultural output value. A notable point is that they do not simply have a large production volume, but are established in the national market as gift and high-priced items. Shimizu Hakuto, Pione, Shine Muscat, and Muscat of Alexandria are all distributed in the high-price range of 500 yen to several thousand yen per box, showing the high price maintenance capability of the production area brand. This is due to the stable sunlight of the Seto Inland Sea, the quality control system of the farmers, and the accumulation of the production area brand over many years. Along with vegetables, Setouchi Spanish mackerel and Tamashima oysters are also known, and having production strength in both agricultural and marine products is a characteristic of Okayama's industrial structure.