Calbee, Inc. prepared a system for increasing production in factories around Japan to build off the success of its potato chip products. The preparation involved establishing Calbee Potato, Inc. to create a separate, independent department in charge of ingredients with the aim of a consistent, high-quality supply of potatoes.
To achieve this aim, the company began to test the concept of a shift to IT based on sensor systems.
From June to October 2021, we conducted a demonstration experiment in fields owned by Calbee Potato, Inc. and their growers under contract in Hokkaido. The experiment involved using e-kakashi (“e-scarecrow”), an agricultural IoT service provided by SoftBank Corp., to collect and utilize environmental data to optimize irrigation with the aim of achieving a stable supply of high-quality potatoes regardless of droughts or other impacts of climate change. Soil sensors from 萝莉影视 Manufacturing were used in the experiment.