Japan is turning its back on large orders of mangoes grown in North Queensland, Australia, as the global economic crisis continues to hit consumers in the country.
The mangoes are sold as high-end products in Japan, often purchased as a gift for up to A$100 per piece of fruit, a factor that is putting off cost-wary consumers.
Atherton Tableland exporter Bruce Nastasi told ABC Rural that the price of mangoes was turning consumers away, and his orders from Japan had been cut by three quarters as a result.
'The issue is that in an economy where you get a recession people tighten up and spend less,' he told the publication. 'The gift market is getting tighter and tighter because people are conserving their money.'
