Taiwan's pineapple sector is holding firm against renewed pressure from Beijing, with official data showing farm-gate prices have risen above pre-ban levels even as China holds out the prospect of reopening its market to Taiwanese agricultural products.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) confirmed that Beijing has been mobilizing fruit trade associations to pressure Taipei, framing potential access to China's market as contingent on acceptance of the "1992 Consensus." In response, the Ministry of Agriculture's Grain Administration Bureau released trade data to rebut what officials characterized as inaccurate media reports claiming pineapple prices had collapsed.
Farm-Gate Prices Higher Than Before the 2021 Ban
Chen Li-yi (陳立儀), chief secretary of the Grain Administration Bureau, disputed reports of farmer distress, pointing to Taipei wholesale market data showing an average price of NT$39.1 per kilogram (approximately $1.22) — well above the long-term average of NT$31.95. At the farm level, prices range between NT$12 and NT$15 per Taiwan catty for domestic sales, with export-grade fruit fetching above NT$18.
According to bureau figures, the annual average farm-gate price has climbed steadily since China's 2021 ban — from NT$22.1 per kilogram to NT$29.08 (approximately $0.91) currently. Officials attributed the resilience partly to a 4% increase in production this year being absorbed by stronger domestic demand tied to traditional religious festivals in the lunar calendar.
Japan Now Accounts for 99% of Fresh Pineapple Exports
The shift in Taiwan's export market structure has been dramatic. Before 2020, roughly 90% of Taiwan's pineapple exports went to China. Following the ban, Taiwan launched the "Freedom Pineapple" campaign and repositioned its crop as a premium product for Japanese consumers.
In the first two months of 2026, Taiwan exported fresh pineapples worth approximately $724,000 in total — up 7.4% year-on-year. Of that, roughly $717,000 (approximately NT$22.94 million) went to Japan, accounting for 99% of total export volume. Export volumes to Japan grew 12.9% over the same period.
Chen said cumulative shipments to Japan reached 9,422 metric tons through April, maintaining what he described as a historical high, and that current shipping routes are operating without significant disruption after earlier logistics instability.
U.S. Market Entry Targeted for May; Korea and Canada in the Pipeline
Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture says it is now working to reduce dependence on any single export destination, including Japan. Chen indicated that pineapple exports to the United States could begin as early as May. Canada and South Korea have also been identified as target markets under a government incentive program aimed at diversifying the export base.
Officials framed the diversification effort as a deliberate strategy to build economic resilience against geopolitical disruption. The government said it would not rule out any export market, but stressed that reducing concentration risk is central to protecting farmers' incomes over the long term.
The agriculture bureau also pointed to supply chain upgrades — including cold-chain logistics and grading standards tailored to Japanese and Singaporean requirements — as evidence that Taiwan's agricultural sector has moved toward higher-value positioning rather than volume-dependent export models.
Beijing's "ten measures" toward Taiwan, announced earlier this month, have been characterized by Taipei as an attempt to use trade incentives as political leverage. Taiwan's government has so far declined to engage with the framework under the political conditions China has set.
