Business · Companies · 2 hrs ago
Japanese chrysanthemum farmer shifts to growing finger limes
Akina Suzuki has switched from chrysanthemums to finger limes at her farm in Tahara, a city in central Japan.
Finger limes are an Australian fruit with small, colorful citrus beads inside their finger-shaped skin, often used as a garnish.
Declining demand for chrysanthemums and rising costs led Suzuki to look for a new use for her greenhouses.
She began growing finger limes in 2023 and learned how to care for the unfamiliar crop through trial and error.
Her 230 trees grow about 20 varieties, and she expects to harvest around 50 kilograms this year, roughly matching last year's amount.
Suzuki is promoting the fruit through restaurants, tastings and direct sales, while other farmers in Tahara have also started growing it.
She hopes to sell the fruit worldwide as she works to make it better known among consumers.
Akina Suzuki, a 42-year-old farmer in Tahara, Japan, has switched from growing chrysanthemums to cultivating finger limes.
She began growing the Australian fruit in 2023 after demand for chrysanthemums declined and costs rose.
Suzuki now has around 230 trees producing about 20 varieties of finger lime.
She expects to harvest about 50 kilograms this year, roughly matching last year’s production.
She is promoting the fruit to restaurants and consumers and hopes to sell it around the world.
- Who
- Akina Suzuki, a 42-year-old farmer, is growing finger limes.
- What
- She has shifted from chrysanthemum farming to cultivating the citrus fruit.
- When
- She began cultivating finger limes in 2023.
- Where
- Tahara, in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan.
- Why
- Demand for traditionally grown chrysanthemums declined, while labor and material costs rose. Suzuki wanted to try something new using her greenhouses.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Suzuki began cultivating finger limes after deciding to use her chrysanthemum greenhouses for a different crop.
Suzuki expects to harvest about 50 kilograms of finger limes, roughly matching last year's production.
- Farmer
- Akina Suzuki, 42
- Location
- Tahara, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
- Finger lime cultivation began
- 2023
- Trees
- Around 230
- Varieties
- About 20
- Expected harvest this year
- About 50 kilograms
What people are saying
It's a texture you won't find in any other fruit.
I wanted to do something new with my chrysanthemum greenhouses.
But with finger limes, I sell directly to restaurants and customers. Being able to see their reactions makes it fun and rewarding.
Eventually, I'd like to sell my finger limes around the world, making sure they're carefully grown and of the highest quality.