Full Breakdown
Taiwan Warns Farmers Over China’s Push to Increase Atemoya Imports
6/22/2026, 10:32:53 PM
China’s Accelerated Atemoya Purchases Raise Taiwanese Alarm
China’s business delegation in Xiamen announced a pledge to buy more atemoya, a hybrid custard-apple fruit cultivated mainly in Taiwan’s Taitung County. Taiwan’s agriculture ministry described the move as a “classic example of China’s ‘raise, trap, kill’ process,” warning that large purchases followed by sudden export restrictions could destabilise the sector and expose farmers to financial risk.
Historical Context of Fruit-Trade Tensions
The atemoya has become a flashpoint after earlier disputes over Taiwanese produce. In 2021 China halted atemoya imports citing pest concerns, partially resumed them in 2023, and imposed taxes on the fruit in 2024. A similar pattern occurred with Taiwanese pineapples, which were banned in 2021, prompting a domestic consumption campaign in Taiwan. These episodes illustrate a broader strategy of using trade measures to exert pressure on the self-governed island, which Beijing claims as its territory.
Key Actors in the Dispute
- Taiwan Agriculture Ministry – issued the press release warning of economic coercion.
- Mainland Affairs Council – warned that officials attending the Xiamen forum could face investigation.
- Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers – criticised the ministry’s warning as politicising the fruit industry.
- Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an – accused the council of “bullying and oppressing” farmers.
- Chinese companies – participants in the Xiamen forum pledging higher purchases.
Timeline of Atemoya Trade Measures
- 2021 – China suspended atemoya imports over pest concerns.
- 2023 – Partial resumption of imports.
- 2024 – China introduced taxes on atemoya.
- Early 2024 – Chinese firms pledged increased purchases at Xiamen forum.
- Saturday (date unspecified) – Taiwan’s agriculture ministry released its warning.
Economic Stakes and Potential Impact
The ministry labelled the atemoya the “TSMC of the fruit world,” underscoring its perceived value to Taiwan’s agricultural export profile. Officials warned that abrupt policy shifts could cause “huge instability” and force farmers to bear “great risks.” In response, the ministry announced plans to promote diversified processing—frozen fruit, puree, and wine—to reduce reliance on a single export market.
Official Taiwanese Government Responses
The agriculture ministry affirmed a focus on “sustainable agricultural development and stable income for farmers” while guiding the industry toward value-added products. The Mainland Affairs Council reiterated that participation in the Xiamen forum by Taiwanese officials may trigger investigations, reflecting heightened scrutiny of cross-strait engagements.
Opposition and Criticism
Kuomintang legislators argued that the ministry’s warning politicises the atemoya sector and could harm farmers. Mayor Chiang Wan-an accused the Mainland Affairs Council of using the issue to “bully and oppress” the island’s growers, emphasizing the fruit’s unique quality.
Verbatim Quotes
- “First, China makes large purchases to show goodwill and encourage farmers to grow atemoyas. Next it unilaterally imposes export restrictions without warning,” — Taiwan Agriculture Ministry spokesperson
- “TSMC of the fruit world” — Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an
- “There is not a country in the world that can produce a fruit as delicious and special as Taiwan's atemoya.” — Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an
- “But lawmakers from the opposition party Kuomintang have decried such warnings as an attempt to politicise the atemoya industry, warning this could end up hurting the island's farmers.” — Kuomintang lawmaker
- “sustainable agricultural development and stable income for farmers” — Taiwan Agriculture Ministry
- “Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council spokesperson has since warned that officials who attended the forum could be investigated.” — Mainland Affairs Council spokesperson
Conflicting Reports and Information Gaps
Sources do not disclose the exact volume of the pledged Chinese purchases, the tax rate applied in 2024, or the specific criteria used for the 2021 import suspension. Consequently, the precise economic impact on Taiwanese growers remains unclear.
Outlook and Next Steps
Taiwan plans to expand atemoya processing capacity and monitor Chinese trade actions closely. Potential investigations of officials involved in the Xiamen forum may further shape cross-strait agricultural interactions, while the atemoya’s status as a symbolic export continues to influence broader Taiwan-China relations.
