New Japanese citrus believed smuggled as saplings sold in China and SK

[thomas]

The Japanese government said last week that specimens of a high-end citrus hybrid recently developed in Ehime Prefecture may have been taken out of the country without authorisation. Agriculture Minister Norikazu Suzuki told reporters that saplings of Ehime Kashi No. 48, commercially marketed as Beni Princess, had been confirmed to be sold online in China.

Beni Princess developed by Ehime Prefecture (photo credit: Kyodo)

The variety was registered as a new citrus breed in Japan in 2022 and entered full-scale commercial distribution in March 2025. A local business promotion organisation describes Beni Princess as a "citrus thoroughbred". The fruit combines the smooth texture of Beni Madonna with the sweet, juicy characteristics of Kanpei, both original varieties developed in Ehime, one of Japan's leading citrus-producing regions.

Registered as a new citrus breed in Japan in 2022, Beni Princess began shipping in earnest in March 2025. A local business promotion body touts it as a "citrus thoroughbred" that gets its texture from Beni Madonna and its sweet juice from Kanpei, both of which are original varieties from the prefecture known for its citrus production. Although the prefecture has applied to register Beni Princess as a new breed in China, the process is not yet complete. The farm ministry learned in 2025 that saplings of the new hybrid were being marketed on an e-commerce site under a name meaning "Beni Princess" in Chinese. After Japan-developed grape varieties were spirited out to China and South Korea, the government tightened rules against carrying plant seeds and saplings out of the country.

Newly developed Japan citrus likely carried off, saplings on sale in China - The Mainichi

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Japanese government said Friday that specimens of a quality citrus hybrid recently developed by Ehime Prefecture in western Japan

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