Despite Japan’s well-deserved reputation a wonderland of delicious pleasures for the palate, the country isn’t immune to food/beverage crises. We’re only two years out from the potato shortage of 2022, when some fast food chains in Japan had to restrict French fry sales or replace their spuds with something else entirely, and who can forget the dark, dry days of Butter Crisis ’14 or Pizza Potato Crisis ’17?
Now Japan looks to be facing another shortage of something ordinarily available just about anywhere: orange juice.
In early April, Megmilk Snow Brand, the Japanese distributor for Dole juices, suspended sales of its Dole Orange 100% juice in 450-milliliter and one-liter cartons, leaving the less-than-half-pint 200-milliliter pack as the only remaining option. Then, on April 25, Morinaga Milk, Sunkist’s Japanese distributor, announced that it will be suspending sales of 200-milliliter cartons of Sunkist 100% Orange once its current ingredient supply runs out.
So what’s causing this OJ shortage? Japan imports about 90 percent of its orange juice, with much of it made from fruit grown in Brazil, which suffered significant rain damage and a citrus disease outbreak in 2023. At the same time that supply is taking a hit, though, demand is rising in the post-pandemic world economy, leading to higher prices. Unfortunately, this is coinciding with the yen cratering in value versus foreign currencies. According to statistics released by the Japanese government’s Ministry of Finance in March, the in-yen price for importing orange juice has jumped 69 percent from a year ago, and has doubled since 2019, making it difficult for Japanese companies to import it in the current business climate.
When faced with high import-associated costs for a popular product, the simple solution would seem to be to just produce it domestically. That’s easier said than done, though. Japan’s small size and mountainous geography mean that farmable land isn’t so easy to come by, especially when other crops like rice, which is heavily subsidized, usually take precedence. What’s more, what citrus farming Japan does have is primarily focused on mikan (mandarin oranges), which are a popular staple food but not really well-suited for making juice, as mikan juice tends to be very syrupy compared to orange juice.
Around the same time as Japan’s orange juice distributors were announcing sales suspensions, the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives organization of regional co-ops revived its Nokyo Kajitsu brand of 100-percent fruit juices, which had been dormant for the last 14 years.
▼ Nokyo Kajitsu
However, both of the Nokyo Kajitsu varieties, which went on sale in April, use mikan juice, not orange juice, and so OJ fans in Japan may be in for tough, thirsty days ahead.
Source: Japan Agricultural News via Otakomu
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- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2024/05/02/orange-juice-crisis-24-japans-oj-supplies-drying-up/
33 Comments
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Eastmann
its simple,its just a pure greed,no science behind.
factchecker
7/11 haven't been bothered selling OJ for months.
sakurasuki
On top of that, we with weaker yen will only increase that price.
kurisupisu
There are a number of citrus fruits in Japan which I prefer to orange juice.
I often juice discounted fruits and vegetables.
This morning I will eat fruit that I am growing myself.
Imagine the possibility of the growing food on roofs and balconies in Japan
IMadeAnAccountJustForThis
How about the govt moving some of that rice subsidies to convince farmers to grow oranges/other food to make Japan a bit more food supply secure.
Of course the rice lobbying folks won't like that. Might upset the cash flow er, I mean wa.
bass4funk
I only drink pasteurized OJ no concentrate for me. That’s why I don’t touch the stuff they try to pass off as 100%
WoodyLee
Stay away from any processed foods and drinks, stick with nature it's your best friend.
Orange juice contains SUGAR and God only knows what other artificial flavors and preservatives ? no one needs that extra sugar.
BertieWooster
The only way to get 100% orange juice is to buy oranges and squeeze them. The stuff in the cartons suggests that it's 100% juice, but in reality it CONTAINS traces of juice, and not necessarily orange. Often it's grape juice with orange flavour and, as WoodyLee points out, sugar and preservatives.
nishikat
Good riddance. Unless it's fresh squeezed from the actual orange it's basically high calorie sugar water. Have some nice warm green tea or better yet (if you can't make it at home in the mornings) convenience stores sell fresh ground coffee by the cup (black is best).
GBR48
quote: in-yen price for importing orange juice has jumped 69 percent from a year ago.
So just increase the retail price to cover it. There will always be plenty of people who still want to buy it and will not be thrown into destitution by the extra cost. That's what happens to prices when your currency sinks. I will always pay more for food products rather than go without. If I was skint, I would skimp elsewhere.
IeatWayguA5Daily
The other day was the first time I actually payed attention to the rising price of O.J. I usually only buy one. But due to rising prices, I bought a case of 12 and froze 11 of them. I will open them as needed.
Vivien
This morning I will eat fruit that I am growing myself.
Imagine the possibility of the growing food on roofs and balconies in Japan
Sounds great, good for you. No need to suffer orange or potato famine :).
Peter Neil
yeah, oj is just a sugar bomb.
we used to drink a small glass from one squeezed orange. now, the food industry has you drinking a giant glass with twice the calories and 3-4 oranges. would you sit and eat 3-4 oranges at a time?
buy an orange and a 99 yen orange juice thingie. stop being a glutton.
and people wonder why the average woman weighs more now than a man did 40 years ago. and men weigh 15kg.
the tobacco companies bought out the food industry and have used the same tactics to try to kill you. 8 out of 10 doctors smoke camels.
Newgirlintown
They need to enlist the help of ‘OJ’ Simpson, or Oran ‘juice’ Jones.
3RENSHO
"...leaving the less-then[sic]-half-pint 200-militer pack..."
'less THAN' not 'then.'
Moderator: Thank you. It has been corrected.
Jtsnose
Perhaps Japan can compensate for the potential vitamin C shortage . . . with other citrus fruit,
e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_citrus
dan
I never buy orange juice.
factchecker
How about the govt moving some of that rice subsidies to convince farmers to grow oranges/other food to make Japan a bit more food supply secure.
Yep, it's a grossly inefficient industry. The land sits idle for 6 months, the farmers bludging off the state too.
wallace
Rice is the most important food for the Japanese. Not all locations would be suitable for growing oranges.
Cards fan
This is simply incorrect. Weather has absolutely taken its toll on global OJ supplies. Additionally, Israel produces a large amount of orange juice, but that's also not viable for obvious reasons.
Additionally, and probably most importantly is the issue of citrus greening, which is a concern for Florida, and other growing locations. Citrus greening is also referred to as "citrus aids," because once a tree is infected, it can't be cured. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrus_greening_disease
MiuraAnjin
Disband Nokyo tomorrow and watch land use follow demand, not subsidies, by 2027.
Gaijinjland
They sell fresh orange juice in machines filled with oranges at train stations for 350 yen. 4 oranges for one cup. That’s a good deal because one orange in a supermarket is always going to be more than 100 yen. There is no orange shortage. They just can’t water it down enough to cover the costs.
bearandrodent
Be careful - Japan still allows pesticides and fumigrants banned in many countries including the U.S. and EU. So the fresh oranges are loaded with chemicals. You’re safer with domestically grown fruit.
Bruce Chatwin
But here in Japan we are still safer with domestically grown fruit? Colour me confused.
WA4TKG
Looks like I’m going to get scurvy because I never eat fruit
WatanabeBuddha
Orange is native to India, so try sourcing the produce closer to home in SEA and SA.
tora
As others have pointed out, the stuff is terrible for your health. Just have an orange. And drink water, and the odd beer from time to time.
gogogo
Buy from Australia, they have loads of citrus export options.
TokyoLiving
Same ultrasugar poison..
Gene Hennigh
It's to bad that orange juice, as we know it, might become food of the rich: until it all goes away altogether. It's likely that a lot of other things will start to disappear. We seem to be entering the 6th great die-off. C'est la vie.
Yrral
Mandarin oranges are the best,they are like tangerine
tora
I think you'll find it is the rich generally stay away from this stuff. They know. Also, will be good riddance. Indeed land they used to grow this stuff can be put to better use.
6th great die off?
Roten
I live in Kagoshima and we have many different citrus fruits down here. I can easily eat three or four fruits at a time, albeit the sour ones not quite so many at once. I also make citrus marmalades and zqueeze my own juices. There are many citrus trees down here that are not harvested, or that the fruit just falls to the ground. It is too bad. Sometimes we can buy 10 fruits for 100 yen when in season, although they are more often 100 yen each. Still, the juice is fine freshly squeezed without the added sugar. JA should concentrate on distributing more of Japan's home-grown citrus products.