TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The first batch of Taitung atemoyas, also known as pineapple sugar apples, set off for China at the start of the month with one container prohibited entry due to supposed pest contamination.
Upon learning this news, the Taitung Farmers' Association said the packaging factory from where the atemoyas were processed has been given a mandatory work suspension of 10 days. The setback comes after China only lifted a two-year suspension on the import of atemoyas in June, per UDN.
Taitung County Government successfully lobbied China to allow atemoyas into the market after implementing a strict set of standards that traced the fruit across the entirety of its production history, from farm to packaging factory. China had also approved the measures.
One container failed to clear customs and was ultimately returned to Taiwan. Taitung County Magistrate Yao Ching-ling (饒慶鈴) called upon fruit packaging companies to implement better quality control, otherwise the county government would conduct its own inspections.
Yao said that all packaging companies are requested to implement the highest level of quality control, and avoid taking chances, as well as implement standardized cleaning operation procedures to improve fruit quality.
According to Taitung Farmers' Association Director-General, Lee Chien-tung (李建通), his group has yet to receive official documentation from China, but after preliminary verification, it is possible that pests were detected in the atemoyas with potential worms and eggs hidden in the fruit and invisible to the naked eye, only discoverable after hatching.
Under Taitung County Government regulations, the local farmers' association will stop harvesting atemoyas for 10 days. As the fruit has yet to enter mass harvest and production, the temporary delay is expected to have a limited impact on farmers.
