WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (AP) -- Japanese marketing experts will be in central Wisconsin next week with one goal in mind -- increasing cranberries consumption in Japan.

The team will visit cranberry bogs and manufacturing plants near Wisconsin Rapids and Tomah on Monday and Tuesday to learn about different varieties of cranberries and how the harvest is done.

Research showing the health benefits of the red fruit also be presented.

The U.S. Cranberry Marketing Committee began aggressively marketing the fruit outside the U.S. in 1999. It says exports now account for 23 percent of sales.

About 200 consumer products feature cranberries in Japan.

Wisconsin is the No. 1 producer of cranberries in the United States and expected to harvest 3.85 million barrels this fall.