Using satellites to boost cabbage consumption in Japan

Using satellites to boost cabbage consumption in Japan

High tech is being put to use in Japan to promote the humble cabbage. It involves using satellite data to predict supplies and deliver the staple vegetable in season to as many consumers as possible.

The initiative was announced on Monday by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, advertising giant, Dentsu, and a farmers' cooperative in a major cabbage-growing area.

Cabbage growth is monitored using private-sector satellite imagery, enabling supplies to be predicted two months ahead of shipping. Wholesale prices can also be forecast by analyzing crop yields.

The group says the data allows retailers to carry out more effective marketing when cabbage shipments rise and the price stabilizes.

JAXA Vice President Okuno Shin said: "Farmers put a lot of hard work into growing their crops. Satellite data can be an effective tool in enabling society to get the full benefit of agricultural produce."

About 50 supermarkets in the Tokyo metropolitan region and Kansai area in western Japan are taking part in the project initially.