The Council of Agriculture (COA) is looking to expand Taiwan’s banana exports. Japan has long been Taiwan’s leading export market for bananas. But sales have fallen in recent years due to low-priced bananas from the Philippines, and Central and South America.
Agriculture official Grace Lin spoke on Thursday about how the council is working to help banana farmers.
“We are mapping out a new plan to expand exports. We hope to explore other markets like China, Singapore and Hong Kong, said Lin.
Taiwan produces more than 290,000 tons of bananas per year, with production value totaling NT$6.5 billion (US$216 million). However, there’s an imbalance of supply and demand. In the summer, the price of bananas drops dramatically, before going back up in the winter.
An official with the Taiwan Banana Research Institute said that since only 20% of farmers are willing to grow the produce on contract, the problem has not been dealt with effectively. He called on farmers to work with distributors so that they can benefit from a steady supply chain.