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Iriomote Island Pineapple Orchard
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Iriomote Island Pineapple Orchard
Iriomote Island, in the subtropical zone, produces tropical fruits unique to its climate. Mangoes and pineapples are especially well produced.
Fruits can be eaten as they are, or they are very popular as souvenirs. Juice made from freshly picked fruit is a unique luxury.
When it comes to pineapple, there is also an unusual drink called pineapple beer. There are many services using such specialty tropical fruits, so it is a must when you visit Ishigaki Island.
This article introduces pineapple orchards that cultivate such attractive pineapples.
About Iriomote Island's specialty pineapple
5 Delicious Pineapple Orchards in Iriomote Island
Iriomote Pineapple Orchard
<Iriomote Pineapple Orchard Photo
The first one I would like to introduce is Iriomote Pineapple Orchard.
Iriomote Pineapple Orchard is a long-established pineapple orchard that has been running a pineapple farm for many years.
They carefully grow pineapples under the motto "Pineapples grow well if you raise them with love like your own children," which was taught by the previous generation's grandmother Yoshi. This is the reason why her pineapples are so sweet, ripe, and delicious. Because of this spirit of raising pineapples as if they were one's own children, they take great care to ensure that the fruit is of high quality and free of blemishes. We deliver boxed pineapples from the southernmost production area to all over Japan. You can ask for free shipping with no worries. There are also pineapple field tours available, so be sure to take a look. Also, since they sell pineapples online, you may want to order and taste them first, and then compare them with those you eat locally.
(2) Wildcat Farm
<Photographs of the Wildcat Farm
Next, I would like to introduce you to Yama Neko Farm. It is a very cute name.
This is Yamaneko Farm, where two generations of the family have been growing pineapples. The farm is located in an easily accessible village called Urauchi, a 5-minute drive from Uehara Port.
The three main selling points of Yamaneko Farm are as follows.
1) Sweetest in Japan
Pineapples give the impression of being sweet and sour. Pineapples grown at Yamaneko Farm are very sweet because they are grown in full exposure to the southern sun. It is said that the more the tropical fruits including pineapples are exposed to the sun, the sweeter they are, and the pineapples of Iriomote Island have the top level of sweetness in Japan. At the Yamaneko Farm, they offer pineapples with excellent sugar content that customers are amazed.
(2) Peach Pineapple is very popular
Among the products we offer, the peach pineapple is one of the most popular. Peach Pineapple is a mysterious pineapple that tastes slightly like peaches when you bite into it. Since it is less sweet than ordinary pineapples, it is easy to eat for those who do not like sourness, and is very popular among women and children.
Nationwide shipping available
This service is also available at other farms, but it is very good when you can go sightseeing, or when you cannot go sightseeing and just want to eat fruits. While some farms cannot deliver to some areas, we are happy to deliver Iriomote-grown pineapples anywhere in Japan. Of course, we can also deliver to nearby farms, so we recommend this farm for its flexibility.
(iii) Farm Faimir
Kenichi Ikemura, the owner of the farm Faimeir, carefully cultivates his fruit with minimal use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in order to preserve the beautiful natural environment and fields of Iriomote Island for the next generation. Faimir" means "please eat" in Okinawan dialect, and the farm is full of Mr. Ikemura's personality that wants to protect the beautiful environment of Iriomote Island and deliver delicious fruits to everyone.
Farm Phi Meal has two main characteristics.
(1) Harvested fruits are shipped on the same day
As mentioned above, the more it is exposed to sunlight, the redder it turns and the sweeter it becomes. However, at a certain point, the sweetness will begin to diminish and the quality will gradually deteriorate. The quality of the grapes also gradually deteriorates after harvesting. Therefore, the secret to enjoying tropical fruits is to eat them as soon as possible after harvesting. At Farm Phamir, we try to ship the fruits the same day they are harvested so that our customers can enjoy them at their peak ripeness.
We are able to deliver pineapples in fresh condition to each of our customers.
(2) Use of original organic compost
At Farm Phi Meal, we insist on preparing the soil in the same way as the natural cycle, and we grow our pineapples with organic compost made from the following three natural materials from Iriomote Island.
1. Humus accumulated in the forest
2. Rice husks from pesticide-free rice farmers
3. Iriomotejima black cattle feces
Although it is more expensive and time-consuming than using chemical fertilizers, this is a better way to grow sweeter fruit and is very good for the environment.
Our proprietary organic compost contains carbohydrates that are not present in chemical fertilizers. These carbohydrates are used during the fruit growth process, which increases the amount of fruit.
In addition, since chemical fertilizers are not decomposed, they flow into the sea due to rainfall and have a negative impact on many living creatures such as fish. On the other hand, fertilizers made from natural materials in Iriomote go through the ecological cycle and become a part of nature of Iriomote Island without polluting the environment.
So it is Farm Faimir that contributes to the environment and grows pineapples with excellent sugar content.
4) Pailand Farm, Iriomotejima Island
<Iriomotejima Island Pailand Farm Photo
Iriomotejima Pailand Farm is a huge farm spreading on the southeast side of Iriomote Island, with an area equivalent to 15 times the size of Tokyo Dome. It is a huge farm with an area equivalent to 15 times the size of Tokyo Dome, where not only pineapples but also many other tropical fruits such as mangoes are cultivated.
The huge farm has a small processing plant inside, so the freshly picked tropical fruits are processed in the freshest conditions.
By reservation, visitors can take a tour of the farm and, depending on the season, experience the harvesting of pineapples such as snack pineapples and peach pineapples.
It is very reassuring to see the freshness of the products being processed. Another nice point is that you can experience harvesting.
5) Maetake Farm
<Maetake Farm
Last but not least is Maetake Kanko Farm.
This farm offers a special service that is hard to experience in other farms. You can eat all-you-can-eat Ishigaki Island pineapple and assorted ripe fruits. It is amazing. It is a dream come true to be able to eat as much as you want of the perfectly ripe fruit on the spot. Of course, it is free to visit the farm, and they also ship fruits as souvenirs, so the service is very good.
in the end
We introduced the farms of Iriomote Island. How was it?
Some farms were able to handle nationwide shipping, others were trying to increase sugar content as much as possible, and still others were concerned about the environment.
There were a variety of personalities and benefits from farm to farm.
Some farms offer an all-you-can-eat tropical fruit service, so be sure to visit one and try your hand at bak-eating tropical fruits.
Thank you for reading to the end.