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Technology

AI farming tool from BASF finds fertile ground in Japan's rice country

German group harnesses satellite, weather data to help understaffed growers

A rice grower harvests his crop in Japan's Niigata prefecture. The average age of Japanese farmers is nearing 68. (Photo by Tadanori Yoshida)

TOKYO -- German chemical group BASF has gained a foothold in Japan's rice country with a tool that uses artificial intelligence to help skilled farmers make up for a shortage of labor.

Yamazaki Rice, based near Tokyo in Saitama prefecture, began using BASF's Xarvio Field Manager system this year with five workers on about 100 hectares of land.

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