Quality requirements for the Japanese market Market requirements for mikan are highly refined, as occurs in oversupply situations. Freedom from postharvest chemicals will become increasingly important. Fruit size can be overcome with adequate thinning, and rind blemish is usually not a problem where basic spray programmes are followed. Rind colour in most orchards has generally been good. Japanese wase satsumas have very high external and internal quality.
Rinds are well coloured and thin, with no puffiness.
The flesh is juicy and melting, with little fibre. New Zealand growers of export fruit must match this quality Sugar Brix needs to be at a minimum of 10, and preferably at 11. These figures refer to minimums above which the majority of fruit should be. When testing samples of fruit, the variability of individual fruit should be noted. These values need to be calculated for each exporting orchard each season.