Minister Koizumi Under Fire Over Grape Licensing Deal

Japanese farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi, considered a strong candidate for the next premier, faced criticism on Friday over his ministry's handling of a licensing agreement for the highly coveted Shine Muscat grape variety. An official protest was lodged by producers who felt sidelined.

During a press conference, Yamanashi governor Kotaro Nagasaki expressed dissatisfaction with the ministry's discussions with New Zealand concerning the cultivation of the prized fruit, carried out without prior input from producers. Nagasaki, joined by a representative from the local agricultural cooperative, met Koizumi to urge the expansion of export markets rather than granting cultivation licenses overseas.

Koizumi assured that no such licenses would be issued without producer consultation, aligning with the cabinet's policy for product licensing introduced earlier this year. Shine Muscat, developed over 30 years, initially lacked international seedling protection, leading to Chinese and South Korean exports to Southeast Asia. Japan enacted restrictions in 2021.