Taiwanese pineapple cakes sweet for mainland visitors

Taiwan's pineapple cake industry has been boosted by booming arrivals of mainland visitors, as the snack has become a top choice for gifts from the island.

According to Su Mao-shiang, an official with the island's agricultural authority, the planting area of pineapples has increased to 9,900 hectares with an annual production of more than 400,000 tonnes, of which 6 percent are pineapples of local species that are mostly processed into stuffing, juice and jam.

A popular pineapple cake maker Sunny Hills, established in 2009, uses local pineapples as its stuffing in the cake, becoming one of the most popular brands on the Chinese mainland.

Su said that the wholesale price of no. 17 Taiwan pineapple or "diamond pineapple," whose production takes 85 percent of the total on the island, has increased by 40 percent in the last four years.

"The mainland's purchase of pineapple cakes is another main reason for the growing price of the snack, as well as good marketing on the island," said the official.

In 2009, Taiwan exported 1,784 tonnes of fresh pineapples while last year it increased to 4,890 tonnes. In the first five months of this year, pineapple exports surged to 5,740 tonnes, of which 80 percent were exported to the mainland, according to the island's agricultural authority.

With an ample climate, Taiwan breeds good and sweet pineapples favored by mainland consumers. Last year, the Philippines' pineapple production was largely reduced due to typhoons, so many mainland fruit importers chose to buy Taiwan pineapples this year.

A survey conducted by the island found that 31 percent of mainland visitors would buy pineapple cakes as gifts and 42 percent of people would ask their relatives or friends to purchase the snack from the island.