China’s ban on Taiwanese pineapples was “unsurprising,” and Taiwan should have years ago altered its produce export strategies and target customers, experts said.
China on Friday abruptly suspended imports of pineapples from Taiwan, saying that it had on multiple occasions discovered “harmful biological entities” on the fruit.
Calling it an “unfriendly” move, the Council of Agriculture (COA) said that 99.79 percent of the pineapples sent to China since last year have met China’s import standards.
Photo: Ben Blanchard, Reuters
Chiao Chun (焦鈞), the author of Fruits and Politics — A Recollection of Cross-strait Agricultural Interaction Over the Past Decade (水果政治學：兩岸農業交流十年回顧與展望), said that China’s announcement is clearly targeting Taiwan, as the Taiwanese pineapple season is from mid-February to June every year.
There might have been other factors, in addition to the deterioration of cross-strait relations since 2016, that led China to make such a decision, he added.
Chiao said that China is no doubt hoping to use produce exports as a bargaining chip should the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) give in to pressure from farmers.
China is a volatile, high-risk market, as the Chinese government tries to foster dependence on its market, and then uses this reliance to obtain seeds and other technology with the goal of eventually taking over a market segment, especially in produce, Chiao said, adding that this has been a known ploy used for years.
The atemoya, a hybrid of sugar apple and cherimoya, is likely the Chinese government’s next target, Chiao said.
National Taiwan University Department of Agricultural Economics professor Hsu Shih-hsun (徐世勳) said the best response is to expand the export of Taiwan’s agricultural produce to other countries.
Last year, Taiwan exported 41,661 tonnes of pineapples to China, worth NT$1.49 billion (US$52.64 million) and accounting for 91 percent of Taiwan’s total pineapple exports, government data showed.
Japan was the second-biggest importer, with 2,160 tonnes, while Hong Kong and Singapore imported 1,186 and 421 tonnes respectively, data showed.
Taiwan could improve its capability to process agricultural products, which would extend the produce’s shelf life, added value and gross profit margin, Hsu said, adding that this would mitigate a reliance on refrigeration for fresh produce.
However, the COA would first need to be in charge of produce production and processing, as the latter is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, he said.
National Feng Chia University Department of International Business professor Yang Min-hsien (楊明憲) said that China should not target Taiwanese farmers if it wished to extend an olive branch to Taiwan.
Additional reporting by CNA
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS