Japanese farmers' secret to growing mangoes worth over 5 million VND/fruit

Inside a foggy greenhouse at a farm in Otofuke on Japan's Hokkaido island, Hiroyuki Nakagawa is picking ripe mangoes to pack and deliver to customers. It's a beautiful winter day. The temperature outside is -8 ^degrees Celsius, but inside the greenhouse, the thermometer reads 36 ^degrees .

When he started growing mangoes in the frigid Tokachi region of Japan's northernmost island in 2011, Mr. Nakagawa never imagined that one day he would be able to sell the world's most expensive mangoes for $230 each.

“At first, no one supported my approach,” said the 62-year-old. Mr. Nakagawa turned to mango farming after years in the oil business, hoping to create a natural product by taking advantage of Hokkaido’s natural conditions.

Leverage resources

Under the guidance of another mango farmer from Miyazaki Prefecture, Mr. Nakagawa opened a farm and founded the startup Noraworks Japan. A few years later, he trademarked his mangoes under the name Hakugin no Taiyo, which means “Sun in the Snow.”

Mr. Nakagawa's secret is to use two famous natural resources in Hokkaido, snow and hot springs, to grow mangoes.

Mr. Nakagawa in a greenhouse growing mangoes at a farm in Hokkaido, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. Photo: Bloomberg

He stores snow from the winter months and uses it in the summer to cool his greenhouse, tricking fruit trees that normally bloom in warmer weather. In the winter, he uses natural hot water to warm the greenhouse and harvests about 5,000 mangoes out of season.

This process helps the mangoes ripen faster in cold weather, while protecting them from insects without the need for pesticides. Hokkaido's low humidity also reduces the need for fungicides.

According to Mr. Nakagawa, his mangoes are much sweeter than normal mangoes with a higher sugar content. These mangoes also have a smooth, buttery texture and are fiber-free.

In addition, harvesting mangoes in winter (when farmers have less work) also makes it easier for him to hire workers, as Japan faces a labor shortage, especially in rural areas.

Mr Nakagawa's clients include restaurateurs such as Asia's Best Female Chef 2022 Natsuko Shoji. He also sells mangoes overseas to high-end retailers such as City'super in Hong Kong (China).

In addition, the famous Japanese tea company Lupicia also approached him to buy mango leaves to make tea, because he does not use pesticides in the production process.

Premium Gift

Miyazaki Prefecture, where Mr. Nakagawa lives, is also home to the world's most expensive mango.

What makes Miyazaki mangoes special is the care that goes into each fruit as it grows. Grown in greenhouses, each Miyazaki mango is securely supported by wires suspended high above the tree to pull the fruit toward the ceiling to receive as much sunlight as possible.

Each mango is also wrapped in a fine plastic net to prevent the tree from breaking under the weight of the fruit, and to prevent the fruit from touching the ground and spoiling. Some farmers even attach a reflective square of milk carton to the bottom of each mango to give it a uniform deep red color.

Miyazaki mangoes are the most expensive mangoes in the world, often sold in pairs as a high-end gift. Photo: Business Insider

However, despite the efforts of growers, not all Miyazaki mangoes fetch good prices.

Only 10% of the ripe fruit that meet the very strict criteria are labeled “Taiyo no Tamago” (Egg of the Sun). They are typically a perfect deep red with as little yellow as possible and no green. Each fruit typically weighs only about 3.5 taels and has a sugar content of 15% or more, and is free of any defects.

After being harvested, professionally inspected and labeled Taiyo no Tamago, the mangoes are auctioned off at the Miyazaki Central Wholesale Market. Luxury department stores bid on the fruit and then sell them there.

Miyazaki mangoes are often bought as gifts, so they are often displayed in pairs in beautiful boxes and wrapped in protective foam netting. According to Japanese media, a box of two Miyazaki mangoes was sold for 500,000 yen (nearly 87 million VND) in 2019.

Japanese food experts at Bokksu say that Miyazaki mangoes not labeled Taiyo no Tamago can still cost up to nearly 1.2 million VND/fruit .

Nguyen Tuyet (According to Bloomberg, Matador Network)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/bi-quyet-trong-xoai-gia-hon-5-trieu-dong-qua-cua-nong-dan-nhat-ban-a607162.html