In Hirosaki, the brand corn "Dakekimi" is currently at its peak.

Dakekimi Corn is a corn that is harvested from early August to mid-September in the highland/dake area located at an altitude of 450 to 600 meters on Mt. Iwaki, also known as Tsugaru Fuji. Its sugar content is so high that it can be eaten raw.

This year, Aomori Prefecture was hit by heavy rains at the end of June and early August, and some of the Dakekimi Corn fields were submerged in water. Tomokazu Imabe of Imabe Farm said, "Every farm has about 10 to 20% of the damage. So far, the harvest is going well, but the ground is muddy and farm work is hard."

According to Mr. Imabe, the harvest time has been delayed by about a week since mid-July due to less sunshine and lower temperatures. "Shipping will begin in earnest after the end of the Bon Festival," he said. A person in charge of Sakino Nouen, which has a stall, says that there are concerns about flood damage and inquiries from outside the prefecture to confirm the business.

Many stores have increased the price of Dakekimi Corn this year. This is due to the high cost of fertilizer and fuel. Mr. Takuya Miura of Miharu Farm said, "We had to raise the price because of the cost of materials such as cardboard boxes and the cost of delivery. Although this year is not blessed with weather, we want to deliver delicious Dakekimi Corn with the same quality as usual." smile.