Pineapple exports have so far this year risen more than 12 percent, showing that the industry has cast off reliance on the Chinese market following Beijing’s ban on imports of the fruit from Taiwan last year.
Exports of pineapples totaled 9,805 tonnes in the first three months, up 12.2 percent year-on-year, Council of Agriculture data showed.
This was despite the ban China imposed in March last year on imports of the tropical fruit from Taiwan, citing unspecified pests.
Photo: CNA
Council Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) spoke alongside Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) at a news conference in the city yesterday touting pineapple exports to Japan.
Ceremoniously closing a truck ready to ship nearly 14 tonnes of pineapples overseas, the officials thanked Japanese for their enthusiastic support of Taiwanese agriculture.
Even after China banned imports without warning, Taiwan’s growers found other markets with help from the council and the Agriculture and Food Agency, Huang said.
Although this year has seen a smaller export volume than during the same period last year, the quality is better, meaning that selling prices can be higher, he said.
The council last year acted quickly to promote local consumption and exports of pineapples, as well as the creation of value-added products, ensuring that growers did not feel the effects of China’s ban, the Tainan Agriculture Bureau said in a statement yesterday.
Taiwan last year exported a total of 28,000 tonnes of pineapples, council data showed.
Excluding exports to China, those bound for other markets increased by 533 percent from 2020.
Japan received nearly 18,000 tonnes, up 726 percent.
The council this year is still promoting pineapples to new markets, with the goal of increasing exports to 30,000 tonnes.
The council appears on track to achieve its goal, even without the Chinese market, the bureau said.
Successfully capturing the confidence of Japanese consumers also proves the quality of Taiwanese produce, as Japan imposes strict import quality and safety controls, the bureau added.
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