By TPS-IL • April 14, 2026
Jerusalem, 14 April, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Agriculture and Food Security Ministry is working to connect local pomegranate growers with new export opportunities in Japan, following a request from a major Japanese food company seeking Israeli frozen pomegranate arils.
The initiative is being led by The Ministry’s Foreign Trade and International Cooperation Division, which is currently identifying Israeli growers and exporters capable of supplying the Japanese market, according to a ministry statement.
“This request from Japan reflects the strong global appreciation for Israeli agricultural produce, and we see this as an opportunity to expand exports in this sector,” said Sagiv Zohar, export unit manager at the Center for Foreign Trade and International Cooperation at Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture, told the Press Service of Israel.
The request from Japan comes after what the ministry described as a positive past experience with Israeli agricultural produce, prompting renewed interest in establishing commercial partnerships.
According to ministry data, Israel’s pomegranate yield for the 2024–2025 season is estimated at about 40,000 tons. Of that, approximately 5,500 tons are exported annually, primarily as fresh fruit.
However, the ministry has no data on the local production of frozen pomegranate arils, which are in demand in Japan, prompting its outreach to growers in what could become a new export channel, Zohar said.
He added that it was too early to assess the potential revenue from the initiative.
Israel’s pomegranate sector includes about 200 growers cultivating roughly 18,000 dunams of fruit-bearing orchards, along with an additional 1,000 dunams of young trees. Most farms are relatively small, typically up to 30 dunams, and largely grow the “Wonderful” variety, according to the ministry.
Current export destinations include the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and Russia.
The ministry said the Japanese market is considered one of the most selective and high-quality in the world, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for Israeli exporters seeking to expand their reach.
A delegation led by the ministry’s director general is expected to travel to Japan next month to explore potential cooperation and assess opportunities for expanding trade.
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