Day: March 16, 2023

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Play Ball! Major League Baseball and Zoom Announce First-of-its-kind Partnership; Zoom Contact Center to Power ‘Zoom Replay Operations Center’

  • Zoom becomes Official Unified Communications Platform of MLB and Presenting Partner of MLB Replay Review
  • MLB to introduce league-first, broadcast look-ins from the Zoom Replay Operations Center
  • Zoom Contact Center, Zoom Events, and Zoom’s all-in-one collaboration platform will deliver unprecedented transparency to the fans and enhanced communications between front office staff, umpires, and league officials

SAN JOSE, Calif. and NEW YORK, March 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Major League Baseball (MLB) and Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) today announced a first-of-its-kind partnership for the league, aimed to enhance MLB games and the fan viewership experience. As the new Official Unified Communications Platform of MLB, Zoom Contact Center and the Zoom platform technology will power new elements of Major League games and broadcasts.

MLB Chief Operations & Strategy Officer Chris Marinak, said: “We are always looking for innovative ways to leverage best-in-class technology to advance the MLB experience and deliver more to our fans. Partnering with Zoom, a category leader that reinvented the way we connect, was a natural next step for us. We are excited to integrate Zoom Contact Center and other Zoom platform technology into our gameday operations and continue to modernize experiences in a secure, reliable, and innovative way.”

Zoom Chief Marketing Officer, Janine Pelosi said: “MLB brings together tens of millions of passionate fans every season. Zoom’s rapid pace of innovation and obsession with making human connection easier and better, is crucial to help MLB evolve its experience and deliver unprecedented transparency and access to its fans. With MLB leveraging Zoom Contact Center and Zoom’s all-in-one collaboration platform, we are able to truly show the world how a historical brand can continue to innovate and unlock new possibilities.”

Zoom platform integration drives MLB innovations:

  • Zoom Contact Center transforms replay review – In the 2022 MLB season, there were more than 1,400 replay reviews. Historically, the league’s replay review was reliant on disparate technology and audio-only communication with umpires on the field, resulting in fans being disconnected from the decision-making process.

    Beginning with the 2023 Season, the Crew Chief, the most senior member of the four-man umpire crew, will connect to the Zoom Replay Operations Center using Zoom’s Contact Center solution during any replay review. During national broadcasts on MLB Network and Apple TV+, fans will also see the Zoom Replay Operations Center in action live during replay reviews and hear from an expert rules analyst who will discuss replay reviews with the broadcast team. MLB’s goal with this new setup is to create a more transparent and engaging review process.

  • Zoom Platform helps streamline communication – Zoom will be used to securely deliver sensitive information in one of the most high-pressure and high-profile MLB Events, Day One of the 2023 MLB Draft.
  • Broader league-wide Zoom integrations advance collaboration – Zoom’s all-in-one collaboration platform is integrated across several MLB clubs, platforms, and broadcast outlets. In addition to Zoom Meetings, many MLB teams are using Zoom Phone to stay connected with colleagues and customers, as well as Zoom Contact Center to deliver prompt, accurate, and highly personalized customer experiences to their fans. MLB’s corporate offices use Zoom Meetings, Zoom Rooms, Zoom Phone, and Zoom Webinar to connect, collaborate, and communicate.

To learn more about the Zoom platform and the technology that will power several new elements in MLB starting in the 2023 season, read the blog here.

About MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is the most historic professional sports league in the United States and consists of 30 member clubs in the U.S. and Canada, representing the highest level of professional baseball. Led by Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr., MLB remains committed to making an impact in the communities of the U.S., Canada and throughout the world, perpetuating the sport’s larger role in society and permeating every facet of baseball’s business, marketing, community relations and social responsibility endeavors. MLB currently features record levels of competitive balance, continues to expand its global reach through programming and content to fans all over the world, and registered records in games and minutes watched this season on MLB.TV. With the continued success of MLB Network and MLB digital platforms, MLB continues to find innovative ways for its fans to enjoy America’s National Pastime and a truly global game. For more information on Major League Baseball, visit www.MLB.com.

About Zoom
Zoom is an all-in-one intelligent collaboration platform that makes connecting easier, more immersive, and more dynamic for businesses and individuals. Zoom technology puts people at the center, enabling meaningful connections, facilitating modern collaboration, and driving human innovation through solutions like team chat, phone, meetings, omnichannel cloud contact center, smart recordings, whiteboard, and more, in one offering. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more info at zoom.com.

MLB Communications
David Hochman
david.hochman@mlb.com

Zoom Public Relations
Candace Dean
press@zoom.us

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8789553

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WillScot Mobile Mini to Participate in Jefferies Business Services Summit

PHOENIX, March 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings Corp. (“WillScot Mobile Mini” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: WSC), the North American leader in innovative flexible space and storage solutions, today announced that Brad Soultz, Chief Executive Officer, and Matt Jacobsen, Senior Vice President of Finance, will participate in private investor meetings at the Jefferies Business Services Summit in New York, NY on March 23, 2023.

About WillScot Mobile Mini

WillScot Mobile Mini trades on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol “WSC.” Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, the Company is a leading business services provider specializing in innovative flexible space and storage solutions. WillScot Mobile Mini services diverse end markets across all sectors of the economy from a network of approximately 240 branch locations and additional drop lots throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

Additional information can be found on the company’s website at www.willscotmobilemini.com.

Contact Information
Investor Inquiries: Media Inquiries:
Nick Girardi Jake Saylor
investors@willscotmobilemini.com jake.saylor@willscot.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8787467

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TMC Enters into MOU with Leading Nickel Processor PAMCO to Evaluate the Processing of Polymetallic Nodules into Battery Metal Feedstocks

Nodules on the conveyor

Once nodules have made their 12-minute-long journey up a 4.3km-long riser pipe to the surface, they are then separated from the seawater and sediment and sent along a conveyor to the hold of the Hidden Gem.

  • TMC and PAMCO have entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding where PAMCO will evaluate the feasibility of processing of 1.3 million tonnes of wet polymetallic nodules (PMN) per year from 2025 onwards to produce lithium-ion battery and steel making feedstocks as part of TMC’s NORI-D Project Zero development
  • This MoU is a key element of TMC’s stated capital-light strategy to get into commercial production with low upfront capital costs by leveraging existing production assets which require minimal modification
  • PAMCO will undertake studies and testing on a 22-tonne PMN sample collected by NORI during the successful integrated collection system test completed on the NORI – D area in November 2022 to confirm the capacity and identify any additional facility requirements of the PAMCO Hachinohe facility to process PMN into nickel-copper-cobalt alloy and manganese silicate
  • PAMCO is also evaluating the feasibility of a new processing facility to convert nickel-copper-cobalt alloy into an upgraded matte product
  • The parties are working towards a binding MOU for toll-processing in 2023 with definitive agreements to follow

NEW YORK, March 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TMC the metals company Inc. (Nasdaq: TMC) (“TMC” or the “Company”), an explorer of the world’s largest estimated undeveloped source of critical battery metals, today announced that it has entered into a non-binding MOU with Pacific Metals Co Ltd (PAMCO) of Japan, to evaluate the toll treatment of an initial quantity of 1.3 million tonnes of wet polymetallic nodules per year at PAMCO’s Hachinohe smelting facility starting in 2025, consistent with the commencement of TMC’s planned first commercial production by end of 2024. The toll treatment is intended to take place on a dedicated rotary kiln-electric arc furnace (RKEF) processing line and produce two products: nickel-copper-cobalt alloy — an intermediate product used as feedstock to produce Li-ion battery cathodes — and a manganese silicate product used to make silico-manganese alloy, a critical input into steel manufacturing. PAMCO’s Hachinohe facility is located on the coast in northern Japan and is equipped with port and processing infrastructure required to receive and process polymetallic nodules and to ship products to customers.

Nodules aboard the Hidden Gem

During recent integrated collection system trials in November, TMC successfully collected over 3,000 tonnes of nodules while independent scientists from a dozen of the world’s leading marine research institutions monitored the environmental impacts.

Under the MOU, PAMCO will undertake studies to estimate the cost of processing polymetallic nodules through existing facilities and identify any additional equipment requirements, currently expected to be minimal. This work will inform expected nodule through-put, process operating conditions and product specifications for PAMCO’s dedicated production line. PAMCO has received a 22-tonne sample of polymetallic nodules for use in the evaluations.

In parallel, PAMCO is studying the addition of a facility to process the intermediate alloy to nickel-copper-cobalt matte, which is an upgraded intermediate battery supply chain feedstock. It is anticipated that the additional facility would be constructed once commercial processing of polymetallic nodules to alloy has been demonstrated. The parties are working towards a binding MOU for toll-processing in 2023 with definitive agreements to follow.

Gerard Barron, CEO & Chairman of The Metals Company, said: “We are excited about the prospect of working closely with PAMCO who have been smelting nickel laterite ores at their Hachinohe facility since 1965 and have considerable experience in adapting to various land-based feedstocks from the Pacific. Technically, the Hachinohe plant appears well-suited to deploy the near-zero solid waste flowsheet we developed for processing nodules with little modification. Strategically, we are aligned with PAMCO’s goal to contribute materials to a sustainable and recycling-oriented society. We look forward to working with PAMCO on the upcoming study program, finalizing the agreements and ultimately processing nodules to provide the metals required for the energy transition. This MoU is part of our stated capital-light strategy to get into initial commercial production swiftly and with lower upfront capital by re-using existing production assets like our first production vessel and former drill ship, Hidden Gem, and existing smelting facilities onshore, as well as by leveraging the deep operational expertise of our partners Allseas and onshore processors like PAMCO. These partnerships and our relentless focus on the environmental and social impacts of any future operations is how we unlock the enormous battery metal resource held by TMC.”

Masayuki Aoyama, PAMCO President, commented: “We look forward to working with TMC to enhance the value of the Hachinohe facility by processing a higher value material with a lower environmental impact. We are excited by the prospect of being the first commercial processor of polymetallic nodules and see the opportunity to emerge as supplier of Li–ion battery metals.”

About The Metals Company
The Metals Company is an explorer of lower-impact battery metals from seafloor polymetallic nodules, on a dual mission: (1) supply metals for the clean energy transition with the least possible negative environmental and social impact and (2) accelerate the transition to a circular metal economy. The Company through its subsidiaries holds exploration and commercial rights to three polymetallic nodule contract areas in the Clarion Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean regulated by the International Seabed Authority and sponsored by the governments of Nauru, Kiribati and the Kingdom of Tonga.

About Pacific Metals (PAMCO)
Since its establishment in 1949, Pacific Metals Co., Ltd. (PAMCO) has performed through Japan’s post-war reconstruction and many crises to develop new technologies, launch new products, and implement an effective quality control program with a view to satisfying the needs of the customer and becomes Japanese leading ferronickel producer. With ferronickel as its main product, PAMCO produces nickel slag products obtained as by-products in the smelting process.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this press release are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “future,” “outlook” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the studies to evaluate the processing of polymetallic nodules and the processing of a 22-tonne sample of nodules and feasibility of adding a new processing facility to convert nickel-copper-cobalt alloy into an upgraded matte product. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Most of these factors are outside TMC’s control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: Regulatory uncertainties and the impact of government regulation and political instability on TMC’s resource activities; changes to any of the laws, rules, regulations or policies to which TMC is subject; the impact of extensive and costly environmental requirements on TMC’s operations; environmental liabilities; the impact of polymetallic nodule collection on biodiversity in the CCZ and recovery rates of impacted ecosystems; TMC’s ability to develop minerals in sufficient grade or quantities to justify commercial operations; the lack of development of seafloor polymetallic nodule deposit; uncertainty in the estimates for mineral resource calculations from certain contract areas and for the grade and quality of polymetallic nodule deposits; risks associated with natural hazards; uncertainty with respect to the specialized treatment and processing of polymetallic nodules that TMC may recover; risks associated with collection, development and processing polymetallic nodules; risks associated with TMC’s limited operating history; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; risks associated with TMC’s intellectual property and the validity, use and ownership of any new technology or intellectual property subsisting therein; TMC’s ability to raise additional funds; and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the Company’s Form 10-K, dated and filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 25, 2022 as well as the Company’s Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 14, 2022, including those under “Risk Factors” therein, and in TMC’s other future filings with the SEC. TMC cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. TMC cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. TMC does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based except as required by law.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5eb127e5-c1da-49f0-83db-c661ef47a44f

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fa3473bb-76f5-4387-a024-365f85cc58e3

More Info 
Media | media@metals.co 
Investors | investors@metals.co

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8789658

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Government to ensure 2024 general election commences as per timeline

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Home Affairs Ministry affirmed that the government will ensure that the 2024 general election will be commenced according to plan and the timeline.Director General of Politics and Government at the ministryBahtiarremarked that state officials other than general election-related stakeholders — the General Election Commission (KPU), General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), and Honorary Council of General Election (DKPP) — are committed to supporting the political event. Moreover, the government is committed to aid in the funding for the proceedings. “In conclusion, all state officials apart from the General Election Commission (KPU), General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), and Honorary Council of General Election (DKPP), are all ready,” Bahtiar said, as quoted from a press statement received here on Thursday. He delivered the statement during the launch of the General Election Newspaper by Rakyat Merdeka here on Wednesday, March 15. lthough the general election proceedings are riddled with issues, they are considered as challenges that will not impede the coming event in 2024, he remarked. He highlighted that in the past three years, the government, along with relevant authorities of the general election, had made all requisite preparations for the election. Moreover, the KPU has opened up recruitment in order to improve the holding of the general election at the sub-district and village levels, he pointed out. Four indicators of a successful general election comprise safety and security aspects maintained during the period, he pointed out. Bahtiar noted that to meet that end, the ministry had coordinated with the Police Force, National Defense Forces, and Attorney General’s Office regarding the security aspects. The second indicator is public participation, which the ministry strives for and rouses by conducting webinars to inform and coax people into partaking in the event, Bahtiar stated. The initiative has been going on for the last four months, he remarked. He noted that the third indicator is the absence of conflict caused by proceedings, as was highlighted by Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian. Bahtiar drew attention to the important role of the press or media in preventing such conflicts from arising during the period. The last indicator is consistency in national and regional developments during the period, which the ministry pursues by urging the regional government to maintain economic growth amid the global turmoil, he pointed out. “If it goes well, then we too will feel the result,” he said.

Source: Antara News Agency

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Google Selects Fastly Oblivious HTTP Relay for Privacy Sandbox Initiative to Enhance Online Privacy for Billions of Chrome Users

SanFrancisco (ANTARA/BusinessWire)-Fastly, Inc. (NYSE: FSLY), the world’s fastest global edge cloud platform, today announced it has entered into an agreement with Google LLC (NASDAQ: GOOGL) to operate an Oblivious HTTP Relay (OHTTP Relay) as part of FLEDGE, the Privacy Sandbox initiative to improve privacy while continuing to support tailored advertising.For online services that need or desire to serve customized experiences, protecting users’ personally identifiable information (PII) has proven to be a complex yet critical requirement. Against this backdrop, Google Chrome is phasing out support for third party cookies in 2024, which are often used for tracking users across websites. The Privacy Sandbox is a set of proposals to reduce cross-site and cross-app tracking while helping to keep online content and services free for all across the web. FLEDGE is a Privacy Sandbox proposal for remarketing and custom audience advertising use cases that is designed to choose relevant ads without allowing cross-site tracking. Using Fastly’s OHTTP Relay,FLEDGEcan privately count k-anonymous ads cohorts, making FLEDGE, and the infrastructure that supports it, more private. “Keeping users’ data private and safe is critical to the future of online business. And with Fastly, we’ve achieved the best of both worlds, giving users robust privacy protections, while continuing to deliver high quality and personalized experiences” said Victor Wong, Senior Director of Product Management at Google. OHTTP Relay provides fast, reliable separation and isolation of data about who a person is while passing along non-identifying requests to the business server. Employing specially crafted HTTP requests and a multi-tier architecture, OHTTP Relay removes all client request headers not identified as required by thatspecification, ensures that required headers are present before forwarding the request to the business’s configured origin (the OHTTP Gateway), and hides users’ IP addresses from Google. It additionally performs the same function for the Gateway response. “Fastly strives to make the internet a better, safer place for every user and the selection of our OHTTP Relay for FLEDGE is a testament to our platform’s power and flexibility to do just that,” said Jana Iyengar, Vice President of Product, Infrastructure, and Network Services at Fastly. “We are thrilled to play an important role in Google’s ecosystem-driven approach to preserving privacy and improving performance across the web.” Fastly’s OHTTP Relay is part of Fastly’s growing line of privacy enablement services, which are available to any online service looking to offer the highest levels of user privacy. To learn more about OHTTP, visit theFastly blog. bout Fastly Fastly’s powerful and programmable edge cloud platform helps the world’s top brands deliver the fastest online experiences possible, while improving site performance, enhancing security, and empowering innovation at global scale. With world-class support that achieves 95%+ average annual customer satisfaction ratings, Fastly’s beloved suite of edge compute, delivery, security, and observability offerings has been recognized as a leader by industry analysts such as IDC, Forrester and Gartner. Compared to legacy providers, Fastly’s powerful and modern network architecture is the fastest on the planet, empowering developers to deliver secure websites and apps at global scale with rapid time-to-market and industry-leading cost savings. Thousands of the world’s most prominent organizations trust Fastly to help them upgrade the internet experience, including Reddit, Pinterest, Stripe, Neiman Marcus, The New York Times, Epic Games, and GitHub. Learn more about Fastly at

Source: Antara News Agency

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Mass media should verify news on general election: KPI

Simalungun, North Sumatra, Thu (ANTARA) – The National Broadcasting Commission (KPI) expects media outlets, such as broadcasting institutions and conventional media, to function as verifiers of all information and news regarding the 2024 general election.”Verification has become very crucial to be conducted by the mass media in the midst of rampant hoaxes on social media,” KPICommissioner, Mimah Susanti, stated in Simalungun, North Sumatra, on Thursday. In North Sumatra, the commission hosts a press camp on March 15-17, 2023, which brought up the theme of “Free, Dignified Press for Democratization of Broadcasting Prior to 2024 General Election.” ccording to Susanti, as a reliable and trustworthy source of information, the media is supposed to present news in an independent, neutral, accurate, and balanced manner. Those principles are important in delivering factual news for the audience prior to the grand political event, she emphasized. The accuracy of news brought by broadcasting institutions and radio must be ensured through multiple checking processes, she emphasized. “Mass media must be the verifiers of information that spread in social media. Hence, if someone wants to seek factual news or information, they get it from TV and radio. It is because the ones not giving hoaxes are TVs and radios. Hence, TV and radio must be able to rebuild that image. Check and recheck must be done,” Susanti remarked. Susanti referred to data from We Are Social, a UK-based media company, as per January 2023 that showed 212.9 million Indonesians, or 77 percent of the population, use the internet. It shows that social media has currently become one of the most commonly used source of information, she pointed out. Susanti stated that at times of media convergence, broadcasting institutions and conventional media must be able to adapt to the changes in technology and keep up and do better than the social media platforms. However, they need to maintain accuracy and balance in their information, she emphasized. “Digital penetration is very impactful for the public, and hence, the shift in (internet) users. TV viewers also decreased, from what initially was 93 percent, now down to 81 percent. On the other hand, the number of internet users increases, from 55.1 percent to 76.7 percent,” she pointed out. Currently, people aged 50 and above are the ones watching TV the most, and a lot of millennials and members of the gen Z are on the internet instead, she pointed out. KPI CommissionerEvri Rizqi Monarshiopined that balance must be prioritized by broadcasting agencies in showing content related to the 2024 general election. Her administration declined the narrative of current competition between the mass media, particularly electronic media, with social media. “However, it may be, (people) will refer to mainstream media. So, Indonesians are still trying to decide based on (data) from mainstream media. Of course, journalists must be able to bring balanced, objective news, so that it will be possible to monitor and control general election (proceedings) and improve transparency and accountability,” she concluded.

Source: Antara News Agency

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Minister urges local govts to prevent spread of radicalism in children

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Social Affairs Minister Tri Rismaharini underscored the importance of preemptive measures to prevent children from committing terrorism and extreme violence, for which she urged the local governments to actively ward off radicalism in their regions.”Because through prevention, we can educate the children, so that they will not attempt to commit acts of terrorism,” Rismaharini noted in a statement released on the Social Affairs Ministry’s site on Wednesday. The minister said that during her term as mayor of Surabaya City in East Java Province in 2010-2020, she had established the terrorism victim and perpetrator handling team. In addition to the local government, the family and surrounding community are expected to assist in overseeing the children and preventing them from committing acts of terrorism and extreme violence, she stressed. Rismaharini assessed that the teachings of a child’s parents and teachers highly influence his or her behavior and mindset. Hence, the minister has suggested establishing cooperation with the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry as well as the Religious Affairs Ministry to prevent the spread of radicalism in children through school activities. “At that time (when I was the mayor of Surabaya City), the alumni of several SMPs (junior high schools) and SMAs (senior high schools) came to the schools and influenced (the spread of terrorism and extremism to) the students,” she pointed out. To prevent the further spread of radicalism, the minister has prohibited schools from conducting any activities on Saturdays and Sundays. The minister also deployed sub-district and village officers to monitor school activities every Friday. The Indonesian government and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have been collaborating since 2018 to handle children associated with terrorist and extremist groups. The attempt aligns with the government’s priorities stated in Pillar 1 of the 2020-2024 National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism and Terrorism (RAN PE). The Social Affairs Ministry provides social rehabilitation services for families and children exposed to low to moderate radicalism. The services include provision of basic need assistance, comprehensive medical check-up, psychosocial and spiritual rehabilitation, vocational and entrepreneurship training, as well as education support.

Source: Antara News Agency

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Knowing more about wasabi in Nagano

Indonesians know wasabi as a spicy paste that is usually served with Japanese specialties such as sushi, sashimi, and soba.Indonesians may consider the spicy taste of wasabi paste unique given that it is different from the spiciness of the chilies they usually consume. Wasabi is also often enjoyed as a food flavor enhancer in the form of a paste obtained from the tubers of the wasabi plant. Wasabi tubers are first grated to make the paste, which is served straight away with seafood or grilled meats to enhance their flavor. Wasabi served at an event in Jakarta on February 24, 2023. (ANTARA/Katriana) s wasabi tubers aren’t easy to come by, the Japanese people usually buy wasabi from supermarkets in the form of wasabi paste that is packaged and ready to consume. In Japan, wasabi paste is used not only as a flavor enhancer: The Japanese also use it to kill bacteria in raw fish dishes or sashimi. “Wasabi can also kill bacteria in raw fish that is starting to spoil,” said tourism section staff of PT Dayo Wasabi Farm, Kumai Natsuki, when ANTARA had the opportunity to visit the company’s wasabi cultivation site as part of the Japan-Indonesia Exchange for Young Journalists program from February 1521, 2023. Wasabi can also be used as a freshener for foods such as meat: this usually involves placing grated wasabi on grilled meat. mong the other benefits of wasabi is that it helps prevent symptoms of aging. part from the tubers, the stalks and leaves of the wasabi plant can also be consumed by processing them into tempura or fried foods. Cultivation PT Dayo Wasabi Farm where Kumai works is the largest wasabi producer in Japan. Located in Azumino city, Nagano Prefecture, the 11-hectare farm consists of cultivation, production, and marketing facilities. wasabi cultivation area in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, as seen on February 19, 2023. (ANTARA/Katriana) The cultivation site itself consists of several plots of land for planting, with the largest measuring up to one kilometer in length. Every May, wasabi flowers bloom at the farm. The flowers pollinate naturally to produce seeds. The seeds obtained from wasabi flower pollination are then transferred to the seeding site. fter the seeds grow into seedlings, they are transferred again for the seed enlargement process. “So from seed to seedling, it takes 6 months,” said Kumai. fter they grow into large seedlings, wasabi seeds are replanted at the horticultural cultivation site. The wasabi seeds placed there are watered by a naturally gushing spring. Therefore, the price of wasabi is quite expensive because the plant cannot be grown just anywhere. The cultivation of wasabi requires a special irrigation system in areas with natural gushing springs. worker enters a wasabi cultivation area in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, on February 19, 2023. (ANTARA/Katriana) In Japan, wasabi cultivation is only carried out in three places, the largest being Azumino, then Shizuoka Prefecture, and a small part of Tokyo. Meanwhile, after large wasabi seeds are replanted at the horticultural cultivation site for 1 year, the wasabi is ready to be harvested and processed into various kinds of food products. Wasabi tubers can be processed into fresh dishes, while wasabi stems, stalks, and leaves can be processed into cakes, tempura snacks, and other processed products. “So, it takes up to 1.5 years for wasabi to grow from seedling to harvesting,” said Kumai. Processed products PT Dayo Wasabi Farm produces up to 60 tons of wasabi products per year. Most of the products produced by the company are fresh wasabi paste products, which are packaged in various ways. Wasabi products at a shop in the wasabi growing area of Nagano Prefecture, Japan, on February 19, 2023. (ANTARA/Katriana) Wasabi paste can be eaten with fresh dishes. It can also be used as a seasoning and herbal medicine to help prevent aging. t PT Dayo Wasabi Farm’s cultivation site, fresh wasabi paste is also used in ice creams and coffees. There are also processed products made from wasabi stalks and leaves, which are processed into packaged and ready-to-eat tempura or fried snacks. When production volumes are large enough, wasabi products are shipped to various locations throughout Japan. However, as production volumes have continued to decline, most of the products are now being showcased in shops located near wasabi growing areas. Most of the customers come directly to the stores to buy wasabi products. The volume of wasabi production at PT Dayo Wasabi Farm has been declining due to the reduced number of natural springs around the cultivation site. wasabi-shaped statue in a cultivation area in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, as seen on February 19, 2023. (ANTARA/Katriana) The decline has also been caused by pests and diseases that affect the quality of the wasabi crop. Meanwhile, apart from being consumed as a complement to daily meals, wasabi is also eaten during celebrations on major holidays in Japan. In general, Japanese people consume wasabi products that contain 100 percent pure wasabi to celebrate certain holidays because the price of wasabi is very high. Whereas the wasabi that is eaten daily is usually added with other ingredients and has only about 510 percent wasabi content, so its price is much cheaper.

Source: Antara News Agency

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