Japan has approved the import of Taiwanese red dragon fruit after eight years of negotiations. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in Japan issued an official notice allowing the entry of all types of Taiwan-grown dragon fruit, including those with red, purple, and red/purple flesh. This decision follows a long-standing effort by Taiwan to expand its export of dragon fruit to Japan, which has been limited to only white-flesh varieties since 2010.
The quarantine treatment process, which includes vapor heat treatment for 30 minutes at 46.5 degrees Celsius, has been successfully implemented to ensure the fruit is free from melon fly and oriental fruit fly. This development is expected to boost Taiwan’s fruit exports to Japan, which has been the largest market for Taiwan-grown fruits, with nearly 18,000 metric tons worth US$30 million in 2023 alone[1][2][3][4][5].
Citations:
[1] https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/5884145
[2] https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2024/06/07/japan-approves-import-of-taiwan-red-dragon-fruit/
[3] https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/focus/breakingnews/4696611
[4] https://focustaiwan.tw/business/202406050012
[5] https://www.tridge.com/news/japan-opens-market-wider-to-taiwan-grown-dra-aqinpn