Taipei, April 9 (CNA) Japanese fresh produce distributor Farmind Corp. is planning to sell Taiwanese pineapples through the 7-Eleven chain in Japan later this year, according to the Council of Agriculture's (COA's) Department of International Affairs.

During a video conference with COA chief Chen Chi-chung on Friday, Farmind President and CEO Tatsuo Horiuchi said his company plans to buy 3,000 metric tons of pineapples from Taiwan in 2021, and some will be sold in 7-Eleven outlets in Japan, said department head Lin Chia-jung.

The first shipment of pineapples Farmind received from Taiwan this year are destined for sale in Japanese supermarkets, Lin said.

Because 80 percent of Japanese consumers prefer to buy cut fruit, Horiuchi said during the call that his company intends to explore this market segment with Taiwanese pineapples later this year, according to the department.

If the plan does go ahead, it would be the first time Taiwanese pineapples are sold through convenience stores in Japan, Lin said.

According to Horiuchi, Taiwanese pineapples are popular in Japan, even though they are sold at prices that are often at least twice as high as those from the Philippines.

In late February, China halted imports of pineapples from Taiwan, citing pests, but exports to other countries rose to 6,899 metric tons between March 1 and April 8, up from 1,150 tons during the same period in 2020.

Japan alone has accounted for 3,825 metric tons of the pineapple exports since March, representing year-on-year growth of 405 percent, according to the department.