TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A shipment of Indian jujubes produced in Pingtung County has arrived in Dubai, county Magistrate Pan Men-an (潘孟安) said Tuesday (Jan. 18).
“Pingtung’s Indian jujubes arrived in Dubai by plane! The outstanding farmer of Indian jujubes said he hasn’t had the chance to visit himself, and now the Indian jujubes have gone,” wrote Pan on Facebook. “Though the shipment was not large, we will pave more paths for distribution with high quality,” he added.
CNA cited Pan as saying that since the fruit can only be shipped by air, shipments have not been high in volume. However, he posted photos of the product on a shelf in a supermarket in Dubai, writing, “The quality of Pingtung Indian jujubes held up very well.”
“Outstanding Farmer Award” recipient Pan Chih-min (潘志民) is the only farmer in Pingtung County to export Indian jujubes to the emirate, which he started doing last year, selling 300 kilograms in total. His first shipment this year has added another 300 kg, per CNA.
He also exports his fruits to Japan and Hong Kong for between NT$120 (US$4.35) and NT$150 per kg. However, prices have gone up by around 20% this year, as rainfall this winter caused crop yields to decrease by 20-30%, according to the farmer.
Pingtung County produces 30% of Taiwan’s Indian jujubes, making it the second-largest producer in the country, and the government is working to develop new markets around the world. Pingtung exported 257 tons of Indian jujubes in 2021, accounting for NT$190 million in export value.
