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.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS