Chinese atemoya producers could catch up to Taiwan’s yield and quality within two years, threatening Taitung County producers, Taitung County Councilor Huang Chih-wei (黃治維) said today.
Atemoya, also called pineapple custard apples, are a hybrid between cherimoya and sugar apples, notable for their pale green and bumpy skin.
Ninety percent of atemoya grown in Taiwan originates in Taitung County and the majority is exported to China.
Photo: Huang Ming-tang, Taipei Times
China has replicated Taitung’s planting technology in Hainan, Yunnan, Guangxi and Guangdong provinces, with China’s production now triple that of Taiwan and a farming area double the size, Huang said.
As quality improves, yield is increasing year-on-year, he said.
In the next two years, Chinese competitors could push out Taiwanese producers, he said, urging farmers to stop planting the crop and the Taitung County Government to take notice of the threat to local producers.
Taitung producers began exporting atemoya to China 10 years ago, with prices peaking at more than NT$100 per jin (600g).
Total farming area now exceeds 2,000 hectares and the fruit has become a vital part of the local economy, with farmers calling it “green gold.”
However, imports were suspended in September 2021, with Chinese customs officials citing “repeated discovery of agricultural pests” in Taiwanese shipments.
Imports resumed in 2023, but last year China imposed tariffs of 20 percent.
The local government had already taken into account the potential threat of Chinese atemoya production and is working to increase exports to Southeast Asia to diversify the market, Taitung County Agriculture Department Director Hsu Chia-hao (許家豪) said.
Taitung still produces the best-quality fruits due to optimal climate and soil conditions, and would be marketed to China as a high-end product, he said.
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