First container of Taichung lychees, pears sent to Singapore
Taichung plans to export 200 metric tons of locally grown lychees to Singapore this year, twice as much as in 2013 and three times the amount exported to the city state in 2012, said Taichung Deputy Mayor Shyu Jong-shyoung at a promotion event Tuesday.
In terms of grafted pears, the quantity has increased to 120 metric tons, which is 65 percent higher than 2013, due to the positive response from the Singaporean market, Shyu said.
He noted that the exported lychees have been processed under "cold-chain" technology, which is a special treatment that can extend the fruit's preservation period to 21 days.
Taiwan's lychee season runs from June to mid-July, according to the Taichung city government's Agriculture Bureau.
Shyu expressed gratitude to the Agricultural Research Institute under the Council of Agriculture for its efforts in developing the preservation technology, which he said can enable "foreign countries to now enjoy fresh Taichung lychees."
Taichung produces the highest amount of grafted pears in Taiwan, with a coverage of 2,302 hectares and an output of 58,180 metric tons each year, while the special municipality's lychee orchards normally cover 2,028 hectares and yield 18,174 metric tons per year, the Agriculture Bureau said.
Source: focustaiwan.tw
