Taiwan and New Zealand signed an agreement on April 9 which officially approved the export of Taiwan’s pineapples into the New Zealand market. The Tainan City Government expressed that they are happy to see such results and this agreement will bring new opportunities for Tainan’s high-quality pineapples in the global market. To further promote and expand the export market of Taiwan’s agricultural products, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che actively participates in many international trade events. Huang recently visited the Foodex Tokyo International Food Exhibition where he personally approached Singapore importers and successfully facilitated bulk orders of Tainan pineapples to Japan and Singapore. The Agriculture Bureau estimates that this year pineapple exports will exceed 3,500 tons, which demonstrates the fruitful expansion of the produce’s export market.
Mayor Huang Wei-che places great emphasis on quality to maintain the reputation of exported Tainan agricultural products and has repeatedly inspected the container closing process of exported pineapples. Every box of exported pineapples must meet the strictest standards and include a full drug test report and traceability report to ensure that consumers have actually purchased fruits from Tainan. The Mayor pointed out that should any problems arise, the products can be traced back to the source. This not only protects the rights and interests of the consumers but also demonstrates a high degree of responsibility on the agricultural exporters’ behalf. Huang also mentioned that markets such as Singapore are highly competitive, but he is confident that Tainan’s high-quality pineapples will have an edge in the market.
Tainan City is one of the main pineapple production areas in Taiwan. According to the Tainan City Government Agriculture Bureau, this year’s production volume is projected to reach 52,000 tons. Tainan City Government actively takes part in international exhibitions post-pandemic to promote and market local pineapples and other agricultural and processed products. The objective is to increase the visibility and acceptance of Tainan’s produce in global markets. The Agriculture Bureau statistics show that last year’s (2023) pineapple export volume was about 3,150 tons; and this year, with the efforts of the City Government team, growers have already received orders for over 1000 tons of pineapples at the beginning of the season and the exports are expected to exceed 3,500 metric tons. Tainan originally targeted the Japanese market and is actively developing other markets including Singapore and Canada. Now, there is an opportunity to tap into the New Zealand market. The Tainan City Government team quickly contacted domestic fruit importers/exporters who have long been working with New Zealand merchants to understand the quarantine conditions and gain early market entry as they continue to work closely with Tainan farming and trade partners to boost the competitiveness and visibility of Tainan’s agricultural products in the global market and expand the market for Taiwanese farmers.