The latest theft was discovered on July 17, when Hiroki Sasaki, 54, found thousands of Kosui pears missing from nearly 50 trees at his orchard in Ukiha City, Fukuoka Prefecture, according to FNN.
The incident prompted him to end his 15-year career as a pear grower, saying he felt as though he had been cultivating fruit for thieves.
The stolen pears, valued at an estimated 2 million yen (US$13,000), were due to be harvested in late July. The theft occurred during the peak sales season, when premium pears command their highest prices and many orders had already been placed by department stores and customers purchasing gift boxes.
|
Ripe pears. Photo from Pixabay |
Sasaki said the fruit was taken about a week before reaching full ripeness, meaning it had not yet developed its best flavor and would have been worth far less even if processed into other products.
The family had suffered a similar loss the previous summer, when around 6,500 pears were stolen shortly before harvest. The two incidents brought the total number of missing pears to more than 11,000.
After the first theft, the family stepped up patrols around the orchard. This time, however, the thieves avoided trees near the entrance and targeted an area roughly 100 meters farther inside the property.
Although the family had discussed installing surveillance cameras, they delayed the investment because they were prioritizing measures to protect the crop from extreme heat. Fencing and secure gates had also not yet been fully installed.
In an interview with RKB Mainichi Broadcasting, Hiroki shared that these pear trees had been cultivated since his father’s generation. “Almost all of the technical aspects are done by my father,” he said, expressing deep frustration over failing to protect the fruits of their labor.
The case has added to growing concern about agricultural theft in the area. On July 22, another nearby orchard reported that about 100 peaches had been stolen.
Police in Fukuoka Prefecture are reviewing surveillance footage from surrounding locations and investigating how the thieves managed to remove such a large quantity of fruit in a short period.