Since the new government has taken office, pineapple exports have been affected. Zhiwei Guo, chairman of the Green Cooperative, said that the export volume last year was about 1300 metric tons, and this year is expected to reach 2000 metric tons.
"Because of the typhoon last year, the fruit is particularly expensive this year which has hit exports. However, pineapples are thriving and the export growth this year is expected to rise up to 4%." Guo said.
"The quality has been affected by the cold snap at the beginning of last year, and this year, about 15% of the crop was lost due to the last typhoon. But the quality and taste are still excellent and the current export price is about 30 to 35 yuan per kilogram."
Guo has recently returned to his land after a career in industrial farming. He originally thought to supply just the local farmer's market, but then he opened his eyes to the possibilities and decided to expand the area since there were so many orders coming in. So far, the lease area has reached 120 hectares.
Zhiwang Yao, the Southern food agency director, pointed out that the pineapple cultivation of Pingtung county is number one in the country, covering nearly 3000 hectares. Due to environmental and climatic factors, it has the earliest period of production. The pineapple has been exported to foreign countries since January and has become a mainstream fruit due to its mature technology and stable fruit quality.