Bittersweet market outlook for Taiwan pineapples

台灣鳳梨市場前景苦樂參半

Shipping has stabilized post-COVID but the loss of China market puts the squeeze on local pineapple growers


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Domestically produced pineapples are about to be harvested as farmers are hampered by a Chinese export embargo venturing into its third year.

To compensate for the loss of this market, pineapple producers turned to Japan, where consumers pay a higher price but demand high standards regarding sweetness, physical appearance, pesticide residue, and traceability labeling, according to a News and Market report.

In April this year, the COA will require pineapple packagers to affix traceability labels regarding detailed information associated with the production, packaging, and sales of domestically produced pineapples. This regulation is proving onerous as a labor shortage continues to affect the agricultural industry.

This is a response to Japanese consumers expressing their dissatisfaction with poor quality pineapples from Taiwan last year. Many exported pineapples experienced internal browning (IB) or "black heart" as arrival times were delayed by 3 to 14 days, potentially causing discoloring and abnormal metabolism.

According to the News and Market report, another challenge has been too few pesticides approved for usage in the Japanese market. Thus, post-harvest cleaning of pineapples is often no more than spraying pineapples with high-pressure air guns to remove bugs. Japanese detection of cosmet moths in a container can lead to costly fumigation, which also affects fruit quality.

Challenges of producing good pineapples

For one farmer, Mr. Lin, growing pineapples continues to become more and more challenging each year, but the number of pesticides he is able to use is still limited. He used bacillus thuringiensis, a soil-dwelling bacteria that is a common biological pesticide to little effect, because Japan scrutinizes drug residue on fruits.

Post-harvest cleaning is also no more than a bath of diluted water and bleach for fruit stems, though the Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station developed a high-temperature steam sterilizer to prevent stem molding. According to industry sources, a few packaging plants have purchased steam sterilizers, though their usage is thought to have a limited effect on molding and pests.

Furthermore, the industry continues to battle a label shortage which affects harvesting and packaging. Traceability reporting has irritated many as qualifying for traceability records means exporters have to submit three years of data for review by COA officials.

In addition to the administrative problems and the labor challenges of affixing such information to each pineapple, the COA requires pineapples to pass drug residue and sugar content levels before export. Fruit failing to achieve a Brix sweetness level of 14 is prohibited from export, and won't qualify for production or packaging subsidies.

With all of these challenges ahead, Taiwanese pineapple growers are facing an uneasy road, potentially requiring some help and support from domestic consumers willing to purchase the fruit, which can take 18 months to grow but can spoil quickly within a week.