House Foods Group has announced the official launch of its sansho "Production Zone Development Project" starting April, targeting the Takachiho region in Miyazaki Prefecture and the Oku-Aso area of Kumamoto Prefecture.

This collaborative initiative brings together House Foods Group Headquarters, its spice and aromatic vegetable procurement subsidiary Vox Trading, dried shiitake collector and distributor Sugimoto Shoten, Sansho research specialists from Minami Kyushu University, and local sansho growers. The project aims to expand sansho cultivation scale and build brand value.

Since 2022, House Foods Group, Vox Trading, Sugimoto Shoten, and Minami Kyushu University have been conducting joint demonstration trials with growers in Takachiho and Oku-Aso. The region's specialty dried shiitake mushrooms peak during spring and autumn harvests, while sansho harvesting aligns with the summer off-season. This complementary harvest schedule is seen as key to enhancing producer productivity and income, leading to plans for developing a dual-operation model for sansho and shiitake production together with Sugimoto Shoten.

Sansho seedlings trialed in 2022 have shown robust growth, confirming cultivation viability in these regions. The formal project launch now focuses on expanding grower participation and establishing a branded supply chain.

The project will integrate expertise from enterprises and academic institutions in cultivation research, farm management, processing technology, and marketing to build a new sansho production cluster. By deepening the value appreciation and promoting the unique appeal of sansho, the project contributes to preserving and advancing Japanese food culture, revitalizing regional communities, and cultivating a new generation of agricultural talent.

According to the schedule, the first harvest from the 2022 demonstration plantings is expected in July this year. Furthermore, the project anticipates receiving support from Miyazaki and Kumamoto Prefectures through subsidy program information and cultivation guidance. Future plans include annual addition of approximately 1,000 sansho trees, targeting full-scale commercial sales by 2027.

Under its Eighth Mid-Term Management Plan commencing April 2024, House Foods Group has prioritized building a "Spice Value Chain" as a key global growth strategy. The newly established Spice Value Chain Procurement & Production Strategy Headquarters at the Group HQ focuses on creating and strengthening this value chain to drive sustainable growth and address social issues. It is within this strategic context that the Group is amplifying focus on its sansho business, formally initiating the "Production Zone Development Project" in Takachiho and Oku-Aso.