New export processing equipment would give Pingtung County’s agricultural industry the ability to prepare its own produce, giving the industry a much-needed economic boost, the Pingtung County Government has said.
The county’s Agricultural Biotechnology Park would soon build equipment for cold-chain logistics and vapor heat treatment facilities, it said.
Vapor heat treatment heats fruit up to 50°C, using steam to kill insect eggs and larvae prior to export.
The facilities would be built at a mango packaging plant and could open new markets for the county’s celebrated Aiwen mangoes, the county government said.
“Aiwen mangoes are Pingtung’s main agricultural product for export. Whether they are shipped to Japan or South Korea, they need to be put through vapor heat treatment,” Pingtung County Department of Agriculture Director-General Huang Kuo-jung (黃國榮) said.
However, as the county does not have any vapor heat treatment facilities, fruit harvested in the county is sent to Tainan to be treated.
This step means increased costs for farmers and delays selling the produce, Huang said, adding that the trip to Tainan means the fruit is more likely to be damaged.
Papayas and dragon fruit must also be treated prior to export.
Having treatment facilities in the county instead of sending the produce to another city should allow Pingtung’s produce to become much more competitive, Huang said.
The county secured permission to install the facilities from the Executive Yuan, and the Council of Agriculture agreed to assist in the construction process.
The county is in the final stages of building the facilities in its southern part to meet quarantine requirements, the county government said.
The facilities would cost NT$140 million (US$4.5 million) and cover 2 hectares.
They would be able treat 10 tonnes of fruit per day, the county government said.
Installation would be completed by the end of next year, it said.
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