Rare mikan (mandarin oranges or tangerines) are again showing up in markets in the Higashi Kishu region in Mie Prefecture, a major citrus growing area in Japan.
Mikan growers and sellers are attracted to native mikan brands as a way to differentiate themselves amid an increasing threat of a further liberalization of the orange market, as Japan and the United States may start negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement.
“The number of mikans that a person can eat in a day is limited. If more oranges are imported from the United States, the consumption of Japan-grown mikans will drop,” said an official of an agricultural cooperative in Mihama, Mie Prefecture.
In order to lower the impact of foreign imports Japanese growers are turning to rare varieties of mikan like Ichigi. Ichigi oranges are sweet and juicy, and can be scooped out with a spoon like grapefruit with shipments expected to only grow over the next 5 years.
“Having excellent varieties is a great weapon to fight imported produce,”
Mihama Kankitsu President Hirohisa Shiba stated.
