Yuji Kodama shows off baked sweet potatoes in front of his vending machine. (Kyodo)

Canned sweet potato endeavor proving boon for disabled in Miyazaki

MIYAZAKI, Japan (Kyodo) --Three years ago when Yuji Kodama began a project to grow and sell vegetables with the help of local disabled people, he struggled to turn a profit.

But now, after hitting on an idea to sell cans of baked sweet potatoes from vending machines in the southwestern prefecture of Miyazaki, he has seen sales improve and a future for his model of using agriculture to engage and reach out to the disenfranchised in his community.

The brainchild of Kodama, president of a local real estate company, he hopes the initiative will increase the incomes of the disabled people who are integral in every step of the process, from production to processing.

"By spreading our know-how nationwide, I hope we can help to create a society in which disabled people can become independent," Kodama, 65, said.

Each can of baked sweet potatoes, containing several varieties depending on the season, range in price from 300 yen to 400 yen ($2.70-3.60). A message on the label reads, "We baked this through a collaboration between agriculture and welfare. We offer our appreciation and smiles."

Kodama started growing vegetables around three years ago with people who spend time at Medaka House Nobeoka, a work assistance facility for the disabled located near his Miyazaki Prefecture-based company.

But his attempts to establish a place for Medaka House Nobeoka users to work floundered as profits from sales at a farmers' market proved hard to come by.

Kodama decided that the baked sweet potato vending machines might be the answer to his problems since the products would be available around the clock and would incur minimal labor costs to sell.

When he set up a vending machine in front of his company's building in March, it quickly proved popular, particularly with local high school students.

"It's hard work, but I'm happy to see (baked sweet potatoes) are popular. This really motivates me," said a woman in her 40s who works canning the vegetable.

According to a report released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, uncontracted disabled workers who received assistance at dedicated facilities made 205 yen per hour on average in fiscal 2017, up from the 199 yen per hour they averaged the previous year.

Those at Medaka House Nobeoka who work on the canned sweet potato project receive wages of 310 yen per hour and are involved in many processes from producing and harvesting sweet potatoes to packing baked potatoes into bags or cans.

Kodama's company also pays 30 yen per can to Medaka House Nobeoka.

Since the start of the project, Kodama has made improvements through trial and error. He started using vacuum packaging to extend the life of the products and altered the can types so they can more smoothly come out of the vending machines.

The products are distributed through vending machines in more than 10 locations in the prefecture, including in Nobeoka and the nearby city of Hyuga. On a busy day, one machine can see more than 30 cans bought.

"Probably out of curiosity, (the products) sell well among tourists on the weekends," said Kosuke Takaki, manager of Michi No Eki Kitagawa-Hayuma, a roadside rest-stop in Nobeoka which hosts one of Kodama's vending machines.

"They are sweet and delicious since they are made of quality potatoes," Takaki, 73, explained.

According to Takashi Oshikawa, the 34-year-old president of Medaka Family Group Co., which runs Medaka House Nobeoka, group facilities around the country have been inquiring about installing their own baked sweet potato vending machines.

"I want to raise the hourly pay for people with disabilities to a level that enables them to have a stable standard of living," Oshikawa said. "I also want to get other people to understand that (the disabled) are an important part of our society."

Kodama's efforts to promote the employment of people with disabilities have drawn praise from experts in the field.

"I've almost never heard about a case of processing agricultural produce and selling it in vending machines," said Kenji Hamada, senior analyst at the JA Kyosai Research Institute.

"There is a potential this can be applied to other vegetables, making it a unique effort in creating work opportunities for the disabled."

Source: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20191127/p2g/00m/0fe/037000c