Annual exports of Taiwanese pineapples could reach 30,000 tonnes by the end of this year, with the majority heading to Japan, Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) said on Saturday.
Japan imported 18,000 tonnes of pineapples from Taiwan last year after China unexpectedly banned the fruit as part of a trade dispute, Chen said.
So far this year, Taiwan has exported 1,832 tonnes of pineapples, 1,742 of which were sent to Japan, he said.
Photo: Chen Yen-ting, Taipei Times
Taiwan also exported 2 tonnes of pineapples to Kuwait, the first time Taiwan has exported fruit to the Middle East, he added.
The council has developed a cold-chain export system to make it easier to export fruit, he said.
Japan has ordered 20,000 tonnes of Taiwanese pineapples so far this year, Agriculture and Food Agency Director-General Hu Jong-i (胡忠一) said.
“There is demonstrable demand in Japan for Taiwanese fruit,” Hu said. “Some importers there have increased their orders after seeing how well the fruit is selling. One Japanese importer who ordered 137 tonnes last year ordered 852 tonnes this year.”
Japanese demand for Taiwanese pineapples reflects the high quality of the nation’s fruit, he said.
“In Japan, Taiwanese fruit is subject to a 17 percent tariff. Fruit from the Philippines is much cheaper,” he said. “If Japanese are choosing Taiwanese fruit over domestic fruit or that from the Philippines, it really speaks to the quality of our fruit.”
Hu also discussed improvements to the export process.
“We are using a cold-chain system throughout the process, from harvest to shipping, and we are asking farmers to adopt a standard operating procedure,” Hu said.
“We found that cutting the pineapples allows them to be stored for two additional days. We are demonstrating effective packaging and shipping practices at our cooperative in Pingtung County,” he said.
Automated production has also been employed where possible to ensure efficient and proper packaging, he said, adding that there would not be a recurrence of a rotten fruit problem that affected some shipments last year.
The agency is also closely monitoring the use of pesticides and testing foods prior to export to ensure they meet strict regulations, he added.
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