The price of pineapples in Taiwan have jumped by one-third, despite an import ban by mainland China, by far the biggest export market for the self-ruled island’s farmers of the fruit.

The average wholesale price of pineapples in Taipei surged to NT$34.40 (US$1.22) per kilogram on Friday from NT$22.80 per kilogram early this month, Taiwan government data show.

Beijing, which accounted for more than 90% of Taiwan’s exports of pineapples in 2019, banned imports of the fruit from the island since March 1, citing the discovery of pests in shipments — though the ban has been widely seen as part of a politically motivated campaign to put pressure on Taipei, which Beijing views as a renegade province that is an inalienable part of China.

Fears of a possible price slump have so far proved unfounded as demand from both locals and markets such as Japan and Singapore have surged.

Aegis, a Taipei restaurant that supports Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, introduced a new drink on its menu using marmalade made of Taiwan pineapples. The restaurant earlier launched a new service to help customers order pineapples.

Some fruit and vegetable shops in Taiwan were also encouraged by the recent price hike to put pineapples on their shelves to reap more profits.

In Japan, company preorders for Taiwan pineapples hit a record in March, as shoppers snapped up the fruit, paying twice as much as for those grown in other markets.

Asked about the surge in pineapple imports and Japan’s relations with the self-ruled island, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said Taiwan was an important ally and economic partner of Japan.

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