Japan city Matsuyama becomes nation's top avocado producer

Matsuyama, Japan

SEVEN years of hard work spent trying to cultivate avocados finally bore results this year in Matsuyama, Japan. The city, on the island of Shikoku, has seized upon the opportunity to diversify and become the nation's leading avocado production centre.

While avocados have become regular food items in Japanese households, most of them are imported from Mexico and other countries, with domestically produced varieties seldom seen in supermarkets.