Red Horse Corporation Co., Ltd.
This year’s kanji chosen by the producers is “hot”. In 2023, the intense heat continued, greatly affecting quality and yield. ~ Approximately 170,000 ingredients were brought to dinner tables in one year. Looking back on 2023 with producers
……
Direct-from-the-farm service for agricultural, forestry, livestock and fisheries products, “Owl Direct from the Farm” (operated by Red Horse Corporation), conducted a survey of registered producers on this year’s kanji to look back on 2023, and we would like to announce the results.
[Image 1
Announcing this year’s top 3 kanji selected by producers!
When we conducted a questionnaire survey among registered producers of farm-direct Owl, we received responses from 52 producers. As a result, the following Kanji were selected as “Kanji of the Year”:
1st place “Hot”
2nd place “High”
3rd place: “Ame”, “Ku”, “Geki” (tied for 3rd place)
■ 1st place is “Hot”, “It’s been hotter than usual, and it’s been a year of trial and error.”
[Image 2
The most common answer was “hot”. As air and water temperatures continued to be higher than usual, many producers commented that they were acutely aware of the difficulty of growing crops, and that the harvest amount and timing of ingredients were affected. .
Events in 2023 caused by the “heat” looking back through Owl direct from the farm
● Although the market price of green onions has increased due to a poor harvest due to the intense heat, the unit price of farm-directed Owl products is approximately 30% lower than in normal years. The price of “green onions” has soared due to the effects of this summer’s intense heat, but the price in September, when prices started to change, was 119% compared to the normal year (according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries food price trend survey). The average listing price was 70% of the average price. Additionally, our own research revealed that the average retail price for 1 kg of green onions in September was 987 yen, and the average listing price on three farm-direct e-commerce sites was 787 yen, a difference of 200 yen.
[Image 3
The reason behind this is that producers can set their own prices on farm-direct e-commerce sites, so it is possible to set prices lower than those at supermarkets and sell at higher prices than those purchased at markets. Some users who purchased green onions from producers at Farm Direct Owl said, “It was a great deal because there was a lot of it.”
● Scallop catches are poor due to abnormal rise in seawater
temperature. Number of listings decreased by approximately 60% Scallops are one of the foods affected by the heat. The number of registered scallop products (number of exhibits) in 2023 has decreased by 58% compared to last year, due to poor growth of scallops due to rising seawater temperatures due to the intense heat. A producer in Miyagi Prefecture said, “The seawater temperature was abnormally high and the scallops died,” while a producer in Aomori Prefecture said, “It was a situation that even veteran fishermen had never experienced before.” This shows that it has been an unprecedented year. [Image 4
■ “Taka” is ranked in second place. “A year in which temperatures, materials, and various other things became more expensive.”
The next kanji that received the most responses was “高”. It seems that this year has been a year in which producers have been troubled not only by high temperatures but also by high costs, including fuel and labor costs.
Events in 2023 that occurred due to “High” looking back through the farm-directed Owl
● Due to the rising price of eggs, there is a growing demand for eggs delivered directly from the farm. Number of orders increased by approximately 40% compared to last year
The soaring price of eggs has been a hot topic and people have been hesitant to purchase them, but with Farm Direct Owl, producers are able to decide the selling price, so the selling price has not increased significantly, and the number of orders has increased by 39.6% compared to last year. % increased. The reason behind this increase in the number of orders is that eggs, which used to be affordable, are no longer a readily available ingredient, and the value of eggs themselves has been reconsidered. We believe that there is a consumer behavior that says, “I want to get fresh, delicious eggs.” In fact, one customer said, “Egg prices are soaring, so I was looking for something good for my body and came across this.” [Image 5
Farm Direct Owl is a farm direct web market where you can buy and sell ingredients from all over Japan by directly connecting producers and buyers without going through the market.
We have a wide selection of 17 categories, including vegetables, fruits, meat, seafood, rice, and other ingredients, as well as flowers, plants, and pet food. With the search function by variety, you can discover your favorite varieties of each ingredient, as well as new ingredients you don’t know about yet.
Top page: https://owl-food.com/
■ Farm-direct Owl: Story introduction
Redhorse Corporation Co., Ltd., which operates Farm Direct Owl, has been supporting the hometown tax donation project of local governments since 2014, and through this project, they have witnessed firsthand the challenges facing the primary industry.
“I want producers and local industries to be able to carve out a future for themselves by creating a system that delivers quality products to consumers at fair prices.” Based on this belief, we are able to buy and sell ingredients without going through the market. , we have launched a direct-from-the-farm OWL service in the form of a direct-from-the-farm e-commerce site where profits are more likely to remain with producers than through traditional sales channels. Based on the idea that “producers are the main actors in providing services,” Farm Direct Owl aims to create a society where the commitment and efforts of producers can be seen, with the mission of “revitalizing local communities that are self-reliant and
self-sustaining.”
・Service start date: December 23, 2019
・Number of producers: Approximately 4,000
[Red Horse Corporation Co., Ltd.]
Head Office: KOKUGIKAN FRONT BUILDING 2nd floor, 1-10-5 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0015
Established: March 1964
Representative: Kensuke Yamada, Representative Executive Officer and President Business content: Local industry support and revitalization business, consumer business
URL: https://www.redhorse.co.jp/
■ Contact information regarding this press release
Person in charge: Yamamoto, Shirodokoro
E-mail: service-info@redhorse.co.jp