Taiwan-grown kiwifruit are priced higher than imported ones due to their limited availability, but are harvested closer to full ripeness, giving them a higher sugar content and softer texture, the Ministry of Agriculture said.
Miaoli District Agricultural Research and Extension Station Deputy Director Chung Kuo-hsiung said efforts are underway to expand domestic kiwifruit production. The local harvest begins in mid-September but often sells out quickly because of low production volumes, according to the ministry.
In Taiwan, kiwifruit is cultivated at elevations above 1,000 meters in mountainous regions such as Dahu Township in Miaoli County, Jianshih Township in Hsinchu County, and Lishan in Taichung. The cooler climate in these areas allows many farmers to use little or no fertilizer or pesticides on their vines, the ministry said.
Taiwanese growers typically harvest kiwifruit when they are 90% or fully ripe, while imported kiwifruit is picked at about 70–80% ripeness to allow them to mature during shipping. This later harvest contributes to higher sugar content, resulting in sweeter fruit with a more delicate texture and balanced sweet-sour flavor, the ministry said.
Because of differences in harvesting and transportation, Taiwanese kiwifruit can sometimes reach markets while still slightly firm. The ministry said consumers can place them in a paper bag with bananas or other fruit that emit ethylene to speed up ripening. Generally, harder fruits ripen fully within one to three days and can then be refrigerated for one to two weeks.
Taiwan produced 133 tons of kiwifruit last year and imported about 30,000 tons, primarily from New Zealand, but also from Italy, China, the United States, France, and Japan, ministry data showed.
Source: Taipei Times
