Growers call for Japanese authorities to investigate after reports Beni Princess saplings have made their way overseas
Japanese citrus growers have urged the government to act on reports that a new locally-bred variety has already been seen in China.
According to a report from Japan Today, the government confirmed that saplings of Ehime Kashi No. 48, marketed as Beni Princess, have appeared for sale online in China.
Bred in Ehime prefecture, Beni Princess was registered as a new citrus breed in Japan in 2022 and the first commercial volumes began shipping in March 2025.
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 online commerce site under a name that means “Beni Princess” in Chinese, the report said.
Ehime prefecture had implemented measures to prevent copyright infringement, according to The Mainichi. Only a select group of growers were given access to seeds and saplings and international inspections were refused.
Governor Tokihiro Nakamura called for more government support in registering new citrus varieties in China and protecting the fruit.
The Japanese government has announced plans to launch a new body to tackle IP infringement in August.
