New sanitary regulations of Japan will favor kiwifruit supplies from Chile

Last week the Chilean kiwi sector received good news that Japan has allowed a new tolerance of 15 ppm for Fenhexamid residues, which had been restricted before. The molecule is used in kiwifruit flowering, pre-harvest and / or post-harvest.

This change in the regulation of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) in Japan was achieved thanks to a collaborative work between Japanese importers, agrochemical companies, Chilean producers and exporters in order to demonstrate to the authorities of the Asian country and the World Trade Organization (WTO) the importance of its use for the Chilean kiwi, and that the levels of use are not dangerous for human consumption.

The change in MRL will open doors for Chilean kiwis in Japan, ensuring a good supply of the fruit to the population, as well as a more competitive offer, said Carlos Cruzat, Executive President of the Chilean Kiwi Committee.

Mariko Ishikawa, General Manager of the Miko Japan, a major importer of Chilean kiwis, also says this is a positive change. In order to achieve the new measure, Ishikawa has been in close coordination with the Kiwi Committee of Chile and the Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (MHLW).

According to Ishikawa, today, Zespri is the main supplier of kiwis in the country, therefore, this new regulation allows access to Chilean kiwi expanding and diversifying the offer. She added that in 2020 Zespri sales increased by 115 % compared to 2019. At Miko, kiwi sales also increased by 140 %.

Kiwifruit consumption in Japan

According to the report by Tokyo Seika Trading, kiwifruit imports in Japan showed an all-time high in 2018, exceeding 100,000 tons for the first time in the history of the country.

In total, Japan imported 104,949 tons from January to November, almost 14 % more than the record of 92,681 tons in 2017, thus making the kiwi the third most imported fruit in the Asian country.

In 2020 they registered an overall decline in fruit consumption of 31.5 kg per household, due to high prices, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. However, only kiwis and bananas resisted this downward trend.

According to the Japanese ministry, banana consumption in the first 6 months of 2020 reached its highest level since 2012, totaling 9.88 kilos per household. Likewise, records were broken for the purchase of kiwis, with 1.23 kg per household. All of which shows that it is an attractive market for Chilean kiwi.

Álvaro Herreros, commercial manager of Garcés Fruit, indicated that this news mainly means that now it will be easier to export fruit to Japan, but it does not guarantee an increase in volumes.

He pointed out that Garcés is a major supplier of kiwis in Japan, shipping 20 to 25 containers each season. It is an important market for them due to consumption tendency and future possibilities.

source: asoex.cl

photo: producereport.com