Mr. Suenaga has been farming for 42 years and using Rikka for six years. He describes the experience of using Rikka for the first time as follows.

“I was half suspicious at first. I was expecting it to be another ordinary fertilizer. But when I started using it, I was really surprised to see the bright color of my tangerines, which was different from ordinary years.”

Mr. Suenaga was first suspicious but soon amazed by the effect of Rikka.

“The surface of the skins of my tangerines became smoother. It felt different to touch as if it transformed from men’s skin to women’s skin. My wife, who sorts the tangerines after harvesting, also said that the color and the texture were completely different from before.”

“Of course the appearance was not the only difference. The branches became shorter and more branched, and flowers that used to be round and weak gradually turned longer and stronger. The point that surprised me the most was the flavor of the tangerine. I was moved by the great flavor. Later I found out that while the average sugar content of the tangerine in Nagasaki, the brand called Gokuwase, was about 9 degrees, while my tangerine had the sugar content of 12 to 13 degrees after I started using Rikka.”

It was shocking for Mr. Suenaga, a long-time farmer, to see that the sugar content increased by 3 to 4 degrees, but the true effect was not limited to sugar content.

“The overall flavor was improved by using Rikka due to reduced acidity and a richer flavor, not solely because of the increased sugar content. People enjoy tangerines with a richer flavor, and we quickly gained more repeat customers. We would not have achieved this if the only difference were increased sugar content. I am sure that Rikka was the contributor to this success.”

The comments by the increasing number of repeat customers energized Mr. Suenaga. He worked on farming with more enthusiasm than ever. He started to gain more improvements as he used Rikka.

“I began to see more improvements on overall plants as I used Rikka for two and three years, realizing that the DNA of the plants was improved. I grew more confident every year as the plants continued to improve. I became certain that my tangerines would be a top seller and I can manage to expand my farm!”

Then, how did the actual sales prices and income change?

“The sales price tripled over four years. Also, Rikka makes plants flower earlier and allows me to control the timing of shipments. Only tangerines on which Rikka was used are selected during the first week of the season when tangerines are rare in the market. I cannot achieve this with other fertilizers.” “The yield has increased by about 30% in two years. This is because Rikka improves the quality of plants and reduces the year with low yield after harvesting.”

“Farmers will receive more income when stable quality results in the increased amount of shipment, increasing sales price and expanding farming practices. I am sure that the problem of a shortage of successor in farming will be resolved if this positive cycle spreads around Japan.”

Mr. Suenaga experienced the commitment of Yamaguchi, the developer of Rikka. He was confidently smiling and talking how his passion as a tangerine farmer grew stronger as he used Rikka.