The Pineapple Chaos: Farmers Slam Fake News for Ruining Good Pineapples, COA Subsidizes Substandard Pineapples at 8 Yuan per Kilogram for Processing
Recently, news of a pineapple price crash has been circulating nonstop, with rumors from Chiayi even claiming "1 yuan per jin." However, according to yesterday's (the 17th) average auction price at the Taipei Fruit and Vegetable Market of 19.2 yuan per kilogram, Cai, the team leader of the Minxiong pineapple production and marketing group in Chiayi County, angrily criticized the claims of 1, 3, and 5 yuan per Taiwanese catty, saying only poor-quality pineapples sell that cheaply. "If you don't take good care of them, of course the price will be bad." He pointed out that because news of a pineapple crash has been spreading wildly, consumers who come to the production area to buy refuse to purchase when they hear the prices. "It's really killing farmers."
Chen Yonghua, director-general of the Xingang Farmers' Association in Chiayi, pointed out that Chiayi pineapples come to market early, taste more sour, and are of poorer quality, but Xingang pineapples sent to Taipei for auction still sold for over ten yuan per kilogram. Some lower-quality fruit in the production area sold for 2 to 3 yuan, and the Council of Agriculture should speed up guidance for processing to absorb the supply.
COA Minister Chen Chi-chung went to the Chiayi production area today to explain the situation. For substandard fruit, processing subsidies have already been launched, guiding operators to purchase from farmers at 8 yuan per kilogram. In addition, to cope with the major pineapple harvest in April and May, food processing companies and tea beverage businesses have been brought in to directly match demand and supply sides. As for exports, the current price is over 25 yuan per Taiwanese catty, and 11,108 metric tons have already been exported, nearly three times the amount of previous years. Through exports and the absorption of substandard fruit for processing, market prices should be effectively boosted.
COA Guarantees Prices Will Rise: Additional Purchases at 8 Yuan per Kilogram for Processing
COA Minister Chen Chi-chung emphasized, "All policies will guarantee that prices come up." In terms of exports, 11,108 metric tons have already been exported, nearly three times the amount of previous years, and the export price is over 25 yuan per Taiwanese catty. The original pineapple export target for this year was 35,000 metric tons, "but looking at this trend, this year may see exports reach 40,000 metric tons, and overall domestic prices will rise along with it."
Chen Chi-chung explained that the COA began a month ago guiding operators to purchase for processing at 5 yuan per kilogram, but the effort was not strong enough, so two weeks ago it increased the purchase price for processing to 8 yuan per kilogram. The measure subsidizing processing at 8 yuan per kilogram was originally set to last until the end of March, and it has now been confirmed to be extended to the end of May to ensure stable pineapple prices throughout the entire harvest season. "Chiayi has a production volume of nearly 70,000 metric tons, and at least 7,000 metric tons will be required for processing."
Chen Chi-chung emphasized that to cope with the major pineapple harvest in April and May, food processing companies and tea beverage businesses have been brought in to assess their pineapple demand and directly match the demand and supply sides. "As long as there is no heavy rain in April and May, pineapple prices will definitely come up."
Xu Hui-fei pointed out that this year a hand-shaken beverage competition will also be held with pineapple as the theme, encouraging hand-shaken drink businesses to use more cut pineapple. As for exports, the COA subsidizes international sea freight at 6 yuan per kilogram and grading and packaging fees at 5 yuan, totaling 11 yuan. As of the 16th, export volume had reached 11,108 metric tons, a threefold increase compared with 3,658 metric tons in the same period last year. At the same time, it is also cooperating with mass merchandisers, corporate group buying, and Hope Plaza exhibitions and sales for diversified marketing. She emphasized that Chiayi's main production period is April, and as the weather gets warmer, quality will get better and better, and prices will naturally rise along with it.
Farmers Question Whether Taiwan Sugar's Large-Scale Planting Led to Oversupply; COA: Planting Area Restrictions Already Required
As for farmers' concerns that the area of Taiwan Sugar land planted with pineapples has increased, affecting pineapple production and marketing, Chen Chi-chung said that for agricultural products with large-scale domestic planting and production-marketing imbalances within the past five to ten years, restrictions have already been placed on Taiwan Sugar land planting area. "For pineapples, Taiwan Sugar has also been required to impose restrictions when leasing land, so that the entire pineapple production and marketing chain can be stabilized." At present, Taiwan Sugar's pineapple planting area is about 700 hectares, of which about 200 hectares are for export and about 500 hectares for domestic sale. "In the future, domestic sale area will be restricted."