Japanese to examine N.Z. pepino industry

Press, 7 April 1984, Page 16

Japanese to examine N.Z. pepino industry

From

BRUCE ROSCOE

in Tokyo New Zealand-developed pepinos could be the next kiwifruit on the Japanese fresh produce market. Some Japanese farmers are investing thousands of dollars in pepino plantings from seedlings imported from New Zealand, according to Japanese agricultural newspaper reports. Next month, a mission of Japanese farmers will visit New Zealand pepino growing areas to learn planting techniques. Already 14 farmers have signed up for the eight-day tour, organised by the Japan agricultural newspaper, at a cost of ?NZ3500 each. “We announced the tour just two weeks ago, and now we have room for only one more member,” a tour

organiser said. He said the decision to plan the tour was made after the newspaper was swamped with inquiries about a story on pepino growing in New Zealand. This year Japanese farmers are expected to buy about 60,000 to 70,000 pepino seedlings from New Zealand. About 90 per cent of those, according to the newspaper, would be supplied by the Hortex Group, which is also selling the fruit to Sumitomo Corporation, a leading Japanese trader. Sumitomo expects to import about 40 tonnes of pepinos this year. The New Zealand variety, which has been developed to suit Japanese tastes by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, retail in Tokyo at about SNZ7

each. One importer of the seedlings, Miura Nurseries, of Yokohama, whose first airfreighted shipment from New Zealand arrived last month, is retailing the plants at $NZ4.36 each. Though it was earlier believed there was no local production of pepinos, the newspaper recently reported that a nursery in Nagano Prefecture in southwestern Japan has been experimenting with pepino production for three years and now has 20,000 plants. Small plantings have been made by other farmers but the fruit reportedly has lacked flavour and sweetness. Farmers on the pepino mission will also inspect kiwifruit, feijoa, strawberry, onion, and lettuce growing.