Taiwan’s produce a hit with Japanese schoolkids_Taiwan_News

May 06, 2025 | Taiwan Today|

Taiwan-grown pineapples will continue to be part of school meals in Japan for the seventh consecutive year, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). This initiative is based on a 2019 Memorandum of Understanding between Taiwan’s Agriculture and Food Agency and the Kasama City Government in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, aimed at strengthening food and cultural exchange.

Since the agreement, Taiwan has regularly supplied a variety of fruits—including bananas, mangoes, pineapples, and pomelos—to elementary and junior high schools in the region. In 2024, Taiwan is expected to export nearly three tons of pineapples to 92 schools across five cities in the prefecture.

At a promotional event in Tainan on May 5, MOA Deputy Minister Hu Jong-i emphasized the global popularity of Taiwan’s fruit, particularly pineapples, which have become especially favored in Japan. Pineapple exports to Japan reached a record high of 19,373 tons in 2024.

Hu highlighted that introducing Taiwan’s fruit into school lunches helps create a positive image among young Japanese students, potentially influencing their future consumer habits. He also encouraged local producers to innovate with new pineapple-based products, while reaffirming the MOA’s commitment to expanding agricultural cooperation with public and private sectors in Japan.