TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tainan on Tuesday signed a deal to supply 100 tonnes each of mangos and pineapples to South Korea next year, showing the city's growing strength in agricultural exports.

Tainan City Government said the deal will send 100 tonnes each of Irwin mangos and Golden Diamond pineapples (Tainung No. 17) to South Korea in 2026. Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) witnessed the signing and noted that the deal “did not come easily.”

Huang explained that officials have met with South Korean buyers several times and have taken part in Seoul Food Expo for two years to build trust. He said Tainan fruit stands out for its rich taste and solid cold-chain logistics that keep products fresh.

Agricultural Bureau Director General Li Fang-lin (李芳林) said the deal proves Tainan's global market strategy is working. Li added that Tainan will help local producers meet South Korea’s high safety and quality standards, per Liberty Times.

CNA reported that Tainan has taken part in the Seoul Food Expo since 2024, setting up a “Tainan Pavilion” that drew NT$10 million in fruit orders in its first year. This year’s expanded showcase of over 50 local farm and fishery products created deals worth nearly NT$300 million.

Irwin mango, known in Taiwan as the Ai-wen mango, is a red-skinned variety first bred in Florida and now widely grown in Tainan. It is sweet, juicy, and nearly fiber-free, making it Taiwan’s most popular export mango.

Golden Diamond pineapple, officially named Tainung No. 17, was developed by the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute in 1998. It has golden flesh, a mild sweet taste, and makes up most of Taiwan’s pineapple exports.