A brand-name pair of mangoes from Miyazaki Prefecture fetched ¥300,000 Thursday at the local central wholesale market, setting a record high for the season's first auction.
Mangoes sold under the Taiyo no Tamago (Egg of the Sun) label are selected under strict criteria including weight (each must weigh more than 350 grams) and sugar content, which must be high, according to the Miyazaki Agricultural Economic Federation.
Among the 231 two-mango cases auctioned on the day, the highest priced pair was to be airlifted for sale at a department store in Fukuoka, Kyushu's largest city.
"Producers had a hard time because of the low temperature this year, but we are happy that the mangoes fetched high prices," said Yasukazu Matsuda, a member of a local fruit growers association.
