Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia.
Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said.
The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added.
Photo: Taipei Times
The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary documents to meet requirements, the agency said.
In November last year, Malaysia approved imports of Taiwanese pomeloes, provided shipments are accompanied by an import permit and a quarantine certificate issued by the agency, it said.
The 3.6 tonnes shipment was the first batch of Taiwanese pomeloes exported to Malaysia, certified by the agency’s Kaohsiung branch on Sept. 7, it said.
Shipped by sea, the fruit arrived in Malaysia on Thursday and cleared customs the following day after quarantine inspectors confirmed it was free of pests or diseases of concern.
Separately, the ministry’s Agriculture and Food Agency hosted a fruit-based beverage competition for drink shop operators to promote locally grown produce.
Participants were required to use at least one of four designated fruits — guava, banana, avocado or dragon fruit — in their creations. Among the entries, “Banana Dopamine” by Ding Go Tea (叮哥茶飲) won the Popularity Award in a blind tasting by 20 people, blending banana and guava juice with a probiotic milk drink, the ministry said.
The contest aimed to diversify sales channels and boost the value of Taiwanese fruits through collaboration with hand-shaken drink shops, which remain highly popular with consumers, Deputy Director-General Chen Chi-jung (陳啟榮) said at the award ceremony yesterday.
The competition drew 31 entries from 16 participants, with the judging panel selecting eight outstanding products based on local ties, market potential, flavor and mouthfeel, he said.
Most of the winning beverages are expected to be available at participating chain outlets by next month, he added.
To further encourage sales, vendors that use 2 tonnes of locally grown fruit in their beverages would receive a NT$20,000 bonus, with an additional NT$10,000 awarded for every extra tonne, Chen said.
The incentives are projected to generate more than 100,000 servings of fruit-based, hand-shaken drinks, he added.
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