Rice

　Rice cultivation in Saitama is developing by making use of the various conditions each area offers. For example, in some areas rice is able to be harvested in August, earlier than usual. In other areas, two rice crops are able to be cultivated each year thereby making efficient use of the fields.
　To provide top quality rice to consumers, the majority of the rice paddies are planted with Koshi-hikari rice. Koshi-hikari and Kinu-hikari rice fields account for about 50% of the area.
　To meet consumers' demands for safe rice, more Sai-no-Kagayaki rice, developed here in Saitama, is being planted. Sai-no-Kagayaki rice not only has great resistance against various insects, it also has a great taste. Saitama is promoting the spread of this rice as well as limited-pesticide farming.

2002-Production

Crop Area	Amount
36,800ha (16th in the Nation)	177,200t (19th in the Nation)

Wheat & Soy Beans

　Saitama is a major producer of wheat, which is highly-regarded for its top quality.
To maintain and improve this quality, Saitama puts much effort into establishing and broadening specialized wheat production techniques.
New types of wheat have also been introduced to meet new demands.
Increases in the size of farms leading to improved productivity, and large-scale distribution leading to lower costs are also being promoted.
　Like wheat, soy beans are mostly planted in paddy fields. Soy beans and wheat are very important crops being the backbone of paddy field farming.
　Saitama is encouraging cost reductions and further improvements in the quality of wheat and soy beans to meet consumer needs.

2002-Production

	Crop Area	Produce
Wheat	7,920ha (7th in the Nation )	33,800t (7th in the Nation )
Soy Beans	985ha (30th in the Nation )	1,670t (28th in the Nation )

Vegetables

　Saitama's vegetable production is substantial, accounting for 43% of Saitama's total farm production.
　The main growing areas include eastern Iruma which is well-known for taro and spinach, Osato, known for its leaks and broccoli, and Kodama, known for its tomatoes and eggplants.
　In order to supply vegetables all year round, greenhouses are used in Osato, Kodama and Northern Saitama, to cultivate cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries and other fruit and vegetables.
　Recently, competition among producing areas has been increasing due to the development of nation-wide distribution networks and the increased amount of imported vegetables. Consumer's demands are also diversifying with the growth of such trends as health-consciousness.
　Saitama's farming industry is advancing through the implementation of labor-saving and cost-reducing strategies, and the development of high-value added vegetable production areas to meet the needs of consumers.

2002-Production

Crop Area	Amount
15,800ha	383,000t

Fruit trees

　In Saitama, nashi pears account for about 75% of the fruit production, making it the 7th largest producer of nashi pears in the country (2002). Chestnuts, grapes, ume plums, persimmos and sumomo plums are also grown in Saitama.
　Recently the cultivation of new fruits such as blueberries has emerged.

2002-Production

Crop Area	Amount
2,418ha	23,995t

Tea Leaves, Silk Cocoons & Devil's Tongue

　Sayama Tea, a specialty product of Saitama, is grown in the western region of the prefecture mainly in the cities of Iruma, Tokorozawa, and Sayama.
　Through production to sales, most farmers do all the work themselves, using their land, doing the planting, harvesting, marketing and sales.
　Also, the production of two other specialty products, silk cocoons and devil's tongue, in the mountainous and hilly north-western region of the prefecture is characterized by the way farmers take advantage of the climate and soil conditions.　

Products	Crop Area	Amount
Tea (2002)	1,240ha (8th in the Nation)	4,420t (Unprocessed) (11th in the Nation)
Silk Cocoons (2002)	-	73.9t (3rd in the Nation)
Devil's Tongue (2003)	61ha (5th in the Nation)	791t (4th in the Nation)

Livestock

　Livestock is a major sector of agriculture in Saitama, along with vegetable and rice production. 
　Recently, livestock farms have been increasing in size, thereby reducing their costs. Also, an increasing numbers of livestock farms are producing unique highly value-added products.
　More and more administrative groups in the livestock industry have been constructing petting zoos and facilities for farmers' markets in order to take advantage of the fact that Saitama is not only a major producer of livestock products, but also a major consumer.

2002-Production

Product	No. of Animals	Total Production
Diary Cows	21,000 (17th in the Nation)	Milk 111,050t (17th in the Nation)
Beef Cows	24,800 (29th in the Nation)	15,656 animals (26th in the Nation)
Pigs	161,600 (20th in the Nation)	265,112 animals (21st in the Nation)
Egg-producing Chickens	3.42billion (20th in the Nation)	Eggs: 71,516t (13th in the Nation)

Flowers and Garden Plants

　In the northern part of Saitama, Fukaya City is a major producer of bulb flowers. In the south, the nationally famous Angyo producers many garden plants. Due to the recent gardening boom, many potted flowers and seedlings for flowerbeds are also being produced.
　The use of plants for therapy and for mitigating the “heat island effect” (higher temperatures in urban areas) by having gardens on rooftops is becoming more widespread in Saitama.　　

2002-Production

Crop Area
1,531ha (6th in the Nation )

Fisheries

　Fisheries in Saitama can be divided into fish farms and river fisheries.
　The types of fish bred in Saitama's fish farms are ornamental, such as goldfish and nishiki carp. Saitama is one of the leading places for breeding these fish.
　Edible fish such as catfish and gnathopogon caerulescens (Honmoroko fresh water fish in the carp family) are also being bred in Saitama using water-filled rice paddies.
　In regards to river fisheries, fishery cooperatives are responsible for the management of fishing areas, such as rivers, lakes, marshes and ponds.
　These cooperatives are also aiming to increase the range of fish breeds in these areas.
　Recently, the popularity of fishing as a leisure activity has been growing amongst the citizens of Saitama.

2002-Production

Aquaculture-Products
1,178t

Cooperation in Saitama's Food Industry

Contract between Soy Bean Farmers and Soy Sauce Manufacturer (Hatoyama Town)

　The Soy Bean Farmers Union has a contract with a local soy sauce manufacturer to supply them with soy beans. Thus the soy sauce manufacturer can inspect the soy bean farm and meet the farmer. The outcome is soy sauce soy that has been certified as a product unique to Saitama.

Contracts for Cabbages (Higashi-Matsuyama City, Ranzan Town)

　To expand markets and guarantee stable income, cabbage farmers have established contracts with major restaurants' local food processing factories through JA ( Japanese Agriculture Cooperatives).

Supplying Food Manufacturers with Tea Leaves (Sayama City)

　In a partnership between a beverage manufacturing company and the Tea Farmers Cooperative, 100% Sayama tea in plastic bottles and cans were able to be produced and are now sold at stores in JR (Japan Railway) stations.