Organic Pineapple Cultivation Techniques and an Introduction to the Most Nutritious Part
Guanmiao in Tainan is famous for pineapples, but now there is one brand on the market touting itself as the only locally organically grown pineapple. Pineapple farmer Liu Jiajia says that because her father previously grew papaya in a net house and his health deteriorated from using chemical pesticides, developing gastric bleeding and gastric ulcers, on the doctor's advice he began growing organic pineapples in ROC year 89. At first, sales were poor because the price was high, but during the SARS period, as the public's health awareness gradually rose, business began to improve.
To obtain organic certification, Liu Jiajia adds, besides not being allowed to use pesticides on their own fields and having to weed by hand, they must also set up buffer zones around their pineapple fields to prevent pesticides or pollutants from other farmland from flowing in with rainwater. In addition, in order to track the pineapples' growth, they need to keep a daily growth log to monitor the pineapples' growth status and ensure quality.
Liu Jiajia explains that because climate and temperature affect pineapple quality, and since they use organic farming methods, the fruit size and water content depend largely on natural conditions and the health of the plants. Liu Jiajia believes that the pineapple core is the most nutritious and best-tasting part of the pineapple, and the core of their own pineapples is sweet and fragrant. Pineapple contains bromelain, which can break down protein; its sugars, salts and enzymes have a diuretic effect.
Regarding the recent pineapple price-drop controversy, Liu Jiajia explains that because organic pineapples have fixed production areas and yields, and organic cultivation itself requires large amounts of labor costs, prices are inherently higher, so they are not affected by price fluctuations in the overall pineapple market. Liu Jiajia says their pineapple fields currently grow Golden Diamond pineapple, Milk pineapple and a small amount of Honey Baby pineapple. Besides selling to the general public, they also supply processors who make organic foods, so that consumers can enjoy products with guarantees from ingredient to processing.
