Taiwan pineapple prices rise, Taipei auction price nearly double compared with the same period
In mid-March this year, after reports emerged that pineapple prices were poor in some production areas, the Council of Agriculture successively launched three major measures - diversified marketing, exports and processing - and successfully stabilized prices. In March, the Agriculture and Food Agency also announced that this year's "Domestic Hand-Shaken Beverage Championship" would start early, hoping to push prices up. On May 31, the "Midsummer Pineapple Group" blended drink evaluation competition was held, and three drinks - Pineapple Waltz, Rock and Roll Fire Pineapple, and JO Special Blend - won the judges' favor, each taking away NT$100,000 in prize money.
The "Domestic Agricultural Products Hand-Shaken Beverage Series Championship" is divided into 3 groups, each featuring one of 3 domestic ingredients - pineapple, tea leaves and soybeans - as the main subject for blended drinks. The first competition to take the stage was the "Midsummer Pineapple Group." In the blended drink evaluation competition, Twelve Rhymes won the Wanglai Golden Diamond Award with "Pineapple Waltz," Dante Coffee won the "Sweet and Sour Allure Award" with "Rock and Roll Fire Pineapple," and JOLY received the Pear Fragrance Award with "JO Special Blend," each receiving NT$100,000 in prize money from the Agriculture and Food Agency. In addition, all of today's competing products will also enter a second round of sales competition during July and August, with the top three in popularity and sales ultimately chosen, receiving NT$200,000, NT$150,000 and NT$100,000 in prize money respectively.
Hsu Hui-fei, head of the Crop Production Division of the Agriculture and Food Agency, said that last year the first "Domestic Hand-Shaken Beverage Championship" was held for red dragon fruit, successfully selling 37 tonnes of red dragon fruit and drawing more attention to red dragon fruit processing. The Agriculture and Food Agency is continuing the domestic hand-shaken beverage championship this year, hoping more hand-shaken beverage operators will use Taiwan agricultural products. Agriculture and Food Agency Director-General Hu Chung-yi also said that Taiwan's hand-shaken beverages have already reached the international stage, and he hopes hand-shaken beverage operators will use more Taiwan fruit to raise the international visibility of Taiwan fruit.
Pineapple export volume has hit a record high. According to Council of Agriculture statistics, as of May 30, exports had reached 40,177 metric tonnes, considerably higher than the 32,429 metric tonnes for all of last year. Through diversified marketing such as supplying military non-staple food and group meals, 311 metric tonnes of pineapples have also been sold so far, and 2,131 tonnes of pineapples have been processed into juice and other products. According to the agricultural products wholesale market price website, on the 31st the pineapple auction price at the Taipei Fruit and Vegetable Auction Market reached NT$34.9 per kilogram, much higher than NT$17.9 in the same period last year.
Hsu Hui-fei said that last September the Agriculture and Food Agency adjusted the production season by forcing flowering, and combined with a warm winter, this year's pineapple production season was 1 to 2 months earlier than in previous years. In addition, the Council of Agriculture's launch of diversified marketing, exports and processing are all reasons why today's prices are better.
In March, the Agriculture and Food Agency also announced that this year's "Domestic Hand-Shaken Beverage Championship" would start early, hoping to push prices up, with the "Midsummer Pineapple Group" blended drink evaluation competition held on May 31.
