Taiwan had exported 18,222 tonnes of pineapples this year as of Wednesday, with 61.9 percent sold to Japan, the Council of Agriculture (COA) said yesterday, adding that South Korea and the US are also new markets for the fruit.
After China suspended imports of Taiwanese pineapples from March, the council has worked to expand other export channels.
It aims to export 30,000 tonnes of pineapples this year, Department of International Affairs Director Lin Chia-jung (林家榮) said.
Photo: Hsieh Chieh-yu, Taipei Times
As of Wednesday, 18,222 tonnes of pineapples had been exported, including 11,286 tonnes (61.9 percent) sold to Japan, which exceeds the total sold to the country in the past decade, council data showed.
The amount exported to Japan is expected to continue rising, Lin said.
Japanese produce supplier Farmind last month purchased 3,000 tonnes of Taiwanese pineapples and sent fruit slices to supermarkets and convenience stores across the country, he said.
Meanwhile, the council is re-entering the South Korean market after a hiatus of a few years, he said.
South Korea used to import pineapples from the Philippines and Indonesia, but recently Seoul has shown a favorable response to Taiwanese pineapples, Lin said.
The council would work with some businesses to promote the fruit in South Korea, a prioritized market next year, he added.
As Taiwanese golden diamond pineapples are not suitable for long-distance transportation, the council would promote a mango-pineapple hybrid to countries farther away, Lin said, adding that the hybrid would be sold to Japan as well.
Some researchers have developed techniques to keep frozen golden diamond pineapples fresh even after they are defrosted, a source familiar with the matter said.
Such techniques would allow frozen golden diamond pineapples to be sold to the US next year, which would be another boon for exports, the person said.
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