Fukuoka and Saga have received virtually no rain since the rainy season ended on July 8, putting farms under increasing pressure. In Toho, a 71-year-old rice farmer said the stream that normally supplies his paddies had completely dried up. His rice is entering a roughly two-week period when developing grain requires large amounts of water. Since mid-July, he has used a gasoline-powered pump to draw water from a nearby reservoir. The reservoir has fallen to about half its usual level, forcing him to irrigate only once a week in an effort to make the remaining supply last. Source: RKB News / KBC News
Photo: Fukuoka Now
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