Football: Locally produced rice funds Yokohama FC player development
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Yokohama FC recently launched their annual sales of rice planted and harvested by members of the J-League first-division club, with 10 percent of the proceeds going to player development.
With players from the Yokohama-based club lending a hand, the "Yokohama FC Support Rice" is produced locally to be sold online and at their home stadium at a time when soaring rice prices are squeezing household budgets across Japan.
In late May, two young players tried rice planting under the guidance of local farmers.
"I would be happy if our activities could help people get to know the Yokohama rice," 18-year-old defender Jui Hata said.
The support rice project was first launched in 2021 in collaboration with rice wholesaler Mitsuhashi Inc.
A 300-gram Yokohama FC rice pack has been sold at the stadium around twice a year. A 5-kilogram bag, currently priced at 6,000 yen ($41), became available online this year.
"Meals are important for players. I eat a lot before each match," said 22-year-old midfielder Takanari Endo, who eats rice for all three meals a day.
As of next year, the J-League will move the start of its season from February to August.
"We can make new rice available for sale in December," Keiichiro Yamabe, head of Mitsuhashi's public relations. "We hope to see a rise in both rice production and Yokohama FC's performance."
"For better or worse, rice has been a main topic of daily conversation now. Local production for local consumption is drawing a lot of attention," Yamabe said.
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