A pair of premium mangoes from Miyazaki Prefecture fetched a record-matching ¥400,000 at the season’s first wholesale auction Monday.

The high-end mangoes carry the Taiyo no Tamago (Egg of the Sun) brand. According to the Miyazaki Agricultural Economic Federation, mangoes have to be assessed before they are awarded that qualification. They must weigh at least 350 grams, possess a high level of sugar and have a bright red color covering more than half of the skin.

The pricey pair, cased in a container and weighing about 1 kilogram in total, will be sold at a department store in the city of Fukuoka.

The auction took place at a wholesale market in the city of Miyazaki. The record price was initially set last year.

With the brand celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Miyazaki Deputy Gov. Yukitoshi Gunji pledged the prefecture’s continued efforts to promote it globally.

“It has grown into a major Miyazaki brand and was even provided as a cooking ingredient at the (Group of Seven’s) Ise-Shima summit two years ago,” Gunji said. “We would like to continue promoting it to the world.”

The federation expects shipping from growers this season to peak between mid-May and June.

KEYWORDS Miyazaki, mangoes