Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/23
By: Wu Ching-chun, Evelyn Kao and Lilian Wu

Taipei, May 23 (CNA) Taiwan’s pineapples have passed pesticide tests at rates of at least 95 percent over the past two years, the Council of Agriculture council (COA) asserted amid slumping prices for pineapples due to pesticide concerns.

The council was trying to assure the public that Taiwan’s pineapples were safe after pineapple growers in Hsingang in Chiayi County appealed to the government on Friday to help stabilize pineapple prices.

Prices fell over 40 percent over the past week after China detected a higher level of chemical residue on Taiwanese pineapples than its regulations allowed.

Though the problematic pineapples did not come from Hsingang, farmers there were distraught because prices are plunging just as their fruit is about to hit the market in large volume.     [FULL  STORY]