Hoards of Miura, Kanagawa Prefecture's daikon radishes, the area's specialty item, are being tossed out amid sluggish restaurant demand as novel coronavirus infections spread.
Mountains of daikon, collected from among nearby farmers, sit at the Miura Biomass Center, which produces fertilizer from discarded vegetables.
Although a bumper crop was harvested because of good autumn weather, prices have plunged to about one-third of the average yearly level amid a drop in demand.
The center receives a high of more than 70 tons of daikon delivered on some days. This month alone, the amount will probably reach 1,000 tons, meaning even if its employees work overtime, they wouldn't be able to convert it all into fertilizer.
According to the city's agricultural cooperative, only farmers in designated areas are allowed to bring in their produce to the center, while other growers must dispose of excess products on their own.
"Farmers are in trouble as they are in the red," a person in charge at the center said. "We want people to eat more vegetables."
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