[Kumagaya's Leading Heat Becomes a New Agricultural Strength] "Summer Corn" Value Creation Project Launched

Kumagaya City and INGEN Inc. (Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture) will launch a new value creation project for corn in collaboration with local producers.

This project aims to develop agricultural products that leverage Kumagaya's high temperatures and abundant sunshine, with the basic concept being to "turn the heat into a regional strength" rather than to combat the rising summer temperatures.

This fiscal year, we will conduct trial cultivation while verifying varietal characteristics, cultivation methods, and consumer evaluations.

Ultimately, we aim to establish a regional brand and develop the production area.

[Citizen Participation Tasting and Questionnaire Event Held at Yagiashi Department Store]

As the first phase of the project, we will display a "Kumagaya Corn Heat Index Meter," modeled after the "Great Thermometer" that is a symbol of Kumagaya's summer, in the basement food section of Yagiashi Department Store.

We will also hold a vote on how to best enjoy corn suited to the summer heat.

The evaluations received from consumers will be utilized for future product development and regional production area development.

[Event Outline]

Yagiashi Department Store Kumagaya Corn Tasting Event

Venue: Yagiashi Department Store Basement Food Section

Address: 74 Nakacho, Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture

Pre-sale Scheduled: July 1, 2026 (Wed)

Sales Period: July 4 (Sat), 5 (Sun), 8 (Wed), 2026, and thereafter until corn can be harvested.

Sales Hours: Yagiashi Department Store opens at 10:00 AM - ends when sold out.

*Due to trial cultivation this fiscal year, the schedule and content may change depending on the harvest status.

Latest information will be announced on the official Instagram of INGEN Inc.

[Background]

Kumagaya City is known as one of the hottest regions in Japan.

On the other hand, in the agricultural sector, cultivation environments are changing due to climate change, making it increasingly difficult to maintain traditional quality standards and cultivation methods.

Furthermore, about 60% of Kumagaya City's area is farmland, and agriculture is an important industry supporting the region. In recent years, challenges such as the shortening of the harvest season for winter crops like leeks, and the decline in profitability of land-intensive crops such as rice and wheat, have emerged. There is a need to establish new revenue streams that can be harvested in "early summer to summer" for sustainable agricultural management.

Therefore, this project focuses on corn, which can be harvested from early summer to summer, from the perspective of "agricultural products that can create new value due to the heat," rather than "agricultural products that are easy to grow even in the heat."

While general corn is often valued for its sweetness and tenderness when eaten raw, there are also other value axes such as its aroma, satisfying texture, and compatibility with summer dining scenes.

This project aims to discover new attractions by verifying the characteristics of each corn variety in cooperation with leek and rice producers who grow corn in Kumagaya during the summer.

In addition, by collaborating with Kumagaya City's smart city initiatives and utilizing INGEN Inc.'s harvest prediction technology and analysis of cultivation data under high-temperature environments, we will also challenge the construction of a new data-driven agricultural model.

This Fiscal Year's Initiatives

In fiscal year 2026, as the first year of trial cultivation, we will implement:

- Comparison of variety and serving method combinations (consumer survey)

- Verification of cultivation methods for heat and strong wind countermeasures

- Accumulation of harvest prediction data

In particular, we will proceed with verification of compatibility with summer dining scenes and new ways of enjoying corn that differ from traditional raw consumption.

We will also collect and analyze cultivation and weather data to build a cultivation model suitable for the environment of "Kumagaya, a leading city for global warming countermeasures."

Future Outlook ~ As Kumagaya, a Leading City for Global Warming Countermeasures ~

In Kumagaya City, it is feared that stable income will become difficult to secure with traditional agricultural management models alone due to the progression of climate change.

In particular, the limited options for high-value-added crops that can be harvested from early summer to summer is one of the challenges for regional agriculture.

This project aims to create new revenue opportunities for producers by generating new added value that leverages Kumagaya's heat, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of regional agriculture.

In the future, we aim to contribute to the creation of a sustainable agricultural model by promoting producer income improvement, regional branding, and collaboration with tourism and commerce.

About INGEN Inc.

INGEN Inc. is engaged in regional revitalization projects in collaboration with local governments and producers, with the theme of "making agriculture profitable from an individual to a regional level."

With strengths in harvest prediction technology that enables stable shipments even under abnormal weather conditions, and cultivation data analysis for appropriate crop selection and cultivation, the company designs regional agricultural businesses that encompass "what to grow" and "what value to sell it as."

To date, the company has supported the development of agricultural product brands and the formation of production areas that leverage regional characteristics, such as "Kinniku Broccoli" in Miyazaki Prefecture and Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture, "Kamaruko-chan" in Nishio City, and "Kotsutsubo Leafman" in Nikaho City, Akita Prefecture.

In this project as well, we will work with Kumagaya City and producers to create a new production area model that is responsive to the era of climate change.