KAINAN, Wakayama Pref. (Kyodo) Farmers in the Arita region of central Wakayama Prefecture on Monday started shipping "mikan" (mandarin oranges) grown in greenhouses to the Keihanshin region, including the cities of Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe.
Machines sorted about 180 kg of mikan by size while workers packed them by hand into boxes and bags.
This year's mikan were shipped two or three days later than usual because low temperatures and insufficient sunlight slowed the harvest, but their color and sweetness are excellent this year, farmers said.
The shipments will continue until late July to destinations including Nagoya and Hokkaido.