Delicious and nutritious—Golden Diamond pineapples for the enjoyment of Japanese school children
The AFA says that to have exchanges on culture and food education and promote Taiwanese fruits among Japanese school children, it signed the “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation for Strengthening the Exchange on Food and Culture” with Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan in 2019. Since then, Ibaraki Prefecture purchased Taiwanese bananas each fall to serve them as lunch fruits for school children. The Golden Diamond variety (Tainung No. 17) has a delicate texture, edible cores, and thick aroma. For its nutrition and taste, the pineapple has been selected by nine elementary and middle schools as well as kindergartens within Ibaraki Prefecture (including Kasama City and Oarai Machi). This is the first time Taiwanese pineapples have been served as lunch fruit ingredients for the consumption of Japanese school children.
The AFA further points out that varieties cultivated in Taiwan include Tainung No. 17 (Golden Diamond, accounting for over 90%), Cayenne Pineapple (Native Pineapple), Tainung No. 20 (Milky Pineapple), and Tainung No. 16 (Sweet Honey Pineapple). Farmers adapt to different regional features, varieties, and season regulation techniques to achieve all-year production. As we are right in the prime pineapple season, consumers should take advantage by buying more of them. To allow consumers, domestic and abroad, the access to quality Taiwanese pineapples, the AFA implements a three-arrow policy that covers overseas marketing, domestic marketing, and processing, with the goal of 30,000 metric tons of export, 8,000 metric tons of diverse marketing, and 8,000 metric tons of guided processing. Those measures seek to maintain the quality of pineapples shipped while ensuring farmers’ income.
The AFA would like to extend special thanks to Japanese consumers and Ibaraki Prefecture for their long-term support for Taiwanese fruits. As of April 26, the volume of pineapple exported to Japan reached 13,612 metric tons, showing an 80% increase year-over-year and making a historical high. This highlights the deep bond between Taiwan and Japan. The Golden Diamond variety (Tainung No. 17) cultivated in the island’s unique weather conditions is well received by consumers everywhere. The AFA will continue to advise farmers in cultivating pineapples of great quality and safety, improve on export supply chain, and construct an all-encompassing cold-chain system. It has confidence that Taiwanese pineapples will one day become selected by countrywide schools in Japan, and more Japanese school children will get to enjoy them. This can be a solid step for introducing Taiwanese pineapples and their wonderful characteristics to the world and opening up even greater overseas markets for the fruit.
