Tight global supplies, a weaker yen and increased competition from other dessert products drove down Japan’s citrus imports in 2013/14 - a trend that is expected to continue in 2015, according to a US Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) report.
In 2013/14, total Japanese mandarin imports dropped by 40 per cent from the previous season to 10,390 tonnes. The drop was in the most part caused by higher prices of US tangerines due to a shortfall in California, which was exacerbated by the weak yen, FAS said.
Grapefruit consumption fell 16 per cent in 2013/14 compared to the previous year, and has been in steady decline since 2004 when a grapefruit-diet craze caused sales to peak.
The reported effect of grapefruit on certain medication, particularly hypertension drugs, is understood to be the root cause of its declining popularity within Japan’s older population. Meanwhile, younger consumers prefer sweet, easy-to-peel fruits.
FAS estimates that reduced Florida production and associated upward price pressures will drag total Japanese grapefruit imports down ten per cent in 2014/15 to 100,000 tonnes.
Meanwhile, Japanese consumption of oranges in 2013 fell 24 per cent to 1.76kg per household from the previous year, primarily due to higher prices caused by the weakened yen. This resulted in increased competition from other cheaper fruit.
Since 2007 Japanese orange consumption had been recovering, one of the few categories that was bucking the overall trend of declining fruit consumption in Japan, the report said.
But FAS expects Japan’s orange consumption to decrease slightly in 2014/15 due to rising prices (due to the ongoing drought in California) and availability of other cheaper fruit.
Fruit is not considered a staple food in Japan but often is eaten as a dessert, the report explains, and therefore competes with other snacks or confectionaries. Additionally,several decades of slow economic growth have caused Japanese consumers to become more price-sensitive and therefore more aware of cheaper imported fruit.
Fresh lemon imports in 2013/14 slightly increased to 49,121 tonnes. For 2014/15, FAS expects Japanese imports of fresh lemons to be flat at around 50,000 tonnes.
Fresh lemons in Japan are largely consumed by the food service sector as a garnish or as a food and beverage ingredient. For 2014/15, Japan’s total consumption of lemons is estimated at 60,000 tonnes, with the domestic share rising to 16 per cent, or 9,500 tonnes.
The US supplies fresh lemons to the Japanese market year round, providing on average 67 per cent of Japan’s total imports. In 2013/14, imports of US lemons decreased to nearly 33,000 tonnes due to the cold weather that occurred in the California growing region.
Among Japanese trade, Chile plays a major role in the Japanese summer fresh lemon market, supplying about a quarter of Japan’s total fresh lemon imports. Chile’s new lemon crop comes to Japan from June through October.
Traders reportedly favour Chilean lemons because of their lower price and longer shelf-life than US lemons, especially during hot summer months.
In 2013/14, Japanese traders increased their imports of Chilean lemons from the previous year to 14,376 tonnes, mainly to cover the decrease in imports from the US. For 2014/15, FAS estimates that imports from Chile will be similar to the previous year’s level.
In 2013/14, imports from New Zealand increased to 819 tonnes. New Zealand lemons fill the market when Chilean and US lemons are out of season. They are marketed as free of postharvest agrochemicals and sold at a premium price. FAS anticipates New Zealand lemon sales to Japan will continue to hold steady.
