Japanese strawberries are now available in the Philippines
Japan's "juicy and sweet" strawberries are making their way to the Philippines.
The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines said in a Facebook post that an agreement has been reached with the Philippine quarantine authorities to lift the ban on the export of the fruit into the country starting Sunday, Dec. 15.
The move came after Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) engaged in "extensive technical discussions with the Philippine quarantine authorities, driven by requests from Japanese production areas."
The ban was officially lifted on Dec. 15.
Moreover, Japan's agriculture ministry enumerated four key quarantine requirements for the exportation of strawberries in the country, which will also undergo inspection by Philippine authorities. These include the registration of production facilities, pest monitoring—specifically for Drosophila suzukii fruit flies—and pre-export testing for pesticide residues and microbial contaminants.
The previous restriction was implemented due to concerns over pests associated with fresh strawberries from Japan.
Strawberries are a popular fruit in Japanese desserts like strawberry shortcakes and mochis, and they are also popular in other Asian countries, including Hong Kong and Taiwan.
According to MAFF, one of the pioneers in Japan's strawberry export business is "Amaou," which is produced in Fukuoka Prefecture. Amaou has been exporting strawberries since 2013, and its export volume has been increasing ever since.
"Japanese strawberries produced in areas other than Fukuoka are shipped abroad more and more today. It would be lovely if all the people in the world come to know and enjoy fabulous Japanese strawberries," MAFF said.
