Agriculture and Food Agency under the Council of Agriculture of the Executive Yuan announced to increase the export volume of Taiwanese bananas and encourage companies to buy unripe bananas to make preserved banana slices, in order to solve the over supply of bananas production this year.
AFA decided to purchase bananas from local farmers at NT$15 per kilogram and export them to Japan, and other countries. The target is 2,000 tons. AFA also advised food processors to purchase lower quality bananas at NT$5 per kilogram, targeting at selling 3,000 tons of bananas. The bananas for processed chips are required to be 100 to 280 grams per banana, and 6 kilograms or less per bunch, unripe and in good shape.
Farmers, however, criticized that the new policy does not really help the majority of the banana farmers but only the minority who have connections with the government.
The proportion of export to our production is very low, said Chung Ching-hui , chairman of Meinung Farmer's Association. It may only help some specific wholesalers and the big banana farmers. The smaller farmers probably would not be able to get any help.
MFA's former Chairman Chu Hsin-chiang said the AFA should make their purchase mechanisms more open and transparent so that all the farmers would know how and where to sell their bananas. Banana farmer Li Ping-he said no one wants to buy his bananas even after he lowered the price to NT$5 per kilogram. We can only give them to our friends. If we cannot get the cost price back, we will just let the bananas decay in the farms, Li told local media.
The cost price per kilogram of banana is about NT$10 per kilogram. Now the average market price has fallen to NT$7.3 per kilogram. The peak harvest season is expected to be in July. Chung said the situation will probably get worse in the coming months.
AFA decided to purchase bananas from local farmers at NT$15 per kilogram and export them to Japan, and other countries. The target is 2,000 tons. AFA also advised food processors to purchase lower quality bananas at NT$5 per kilogram, targeting at selling 3,000 tons of bananas. The bananas for processed chips are required to be 100 to 280 grams per banana, and 6 kilograms or less per bunch, unripe and in good shape.
Farmers, however, criticized that the new policy does not really help the majority of the banana farmers but only the minority who have connections with the government.
The proportion of export to our production is very low, said Chung Ching-hui , chairman of Meinung Farmer's Association. It may only help some specific wholesalers and the big banana farmers. The smaller farmers probably would not be able to get any help.
MFA's former Chairman Chu Hsin-chiang said the AFA should make their purchase mechanisms more open and transparent so that all the farmers would know how and where to sell their bananas. Banana farmer Li Ping-he said no one wants to buy his bananas even after he lowered the price to NT$5 per kilogram. We can only give them to our friends. If we cannot get the cost price back, we will just let the bananas decay in the farms, Li told local media.
The cost price per kilogram of banana is about NT$10 per kilogram. Now the average market price has fallen to NT$7.3 per kilogram. The peak harvest season is expected to be in July. Chung said the situation will probably get worse in the coming months.
