Japanese Premium Citrus Variety May Have Been Leaked to China

Tokyo, June 12 (Jiji Press)–Seedlings of Beni Princess, a premium citrus variety developed by the western Japan prefecture of Ehime, may have been leaked to China, Japanese agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki said Friday. The agriculture ministry learned last year that seedlings with a name similar to the Japanese variety were being sold on a Chinese website. Since receiving this information from the ministry, the Ehime prefectural government has been working to determine the facts. In 2005, the Ehime prefectural government began breeding Beni Princess from Beni Madonna, whose fruit has a jelly-like texture, and Kanpei, a variety known for its rich sweetness, and put it on sale in March last year. “Whether the information is true or not is unclear,” said a prefectural government official. “We want to cooperate with the central government to carefully determine the facts.” The official said that even if Beni Princess seedlings were actually leaked, it would be difficult to seek an injunction against their cultivation and sale, as the variety has not yet been registered in China. At a press conference on Friday, Suzuki said that his ministry plans to establish an organization this summer to protect the rights of prefectural governments and other entities as breeders of registered seeds and seedlings. “We will firmly protect the rights associated with excellent Japanese varieties,” the minister said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]