Severe typhoons that struck Taiwan late last year have caused banana prices to surge sharply across the island, according to the Agriculture and Food Agency (AFA) under Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture.
Banana Prices Surge 84% Year-on-Year
AFA reported that banana prices in Taiwan have spiked dramatically in recent weeks due to crop losses caused by multiple typhoons in 2024. The agency expects prices to remain elevated until May or June 2025, when the next harvest season begins.
As of Monday, February 18, 2025, wholesale banana prices at Taipei’s No. 1 and No. 2 fruit and vegetable marketsreached NT$107.1 per kilogram (US$3.27/kg) — an 84.2% increase compared with NT$58.1/kg at the same time last year.
Typhoons Devastate Key Banana-Growing Regions
The sharp price rise is mainly attributed to severe typhoon damage from Gaemi (July), Krathon, and Kong-Rey (October), which struck the southern regions of Kaohsiung and Pingtung — Taiwan’s major fruit-producing areas. The AFA noted that the current banana crop has been “almost wiped out.”
Although farmers have begun replanting and rehabilitating their orchards, AFA officials said it would take nearly a year before banana trees can produce new fruit. Prices are expected to stabilize around May–June 2025, once the next harvest becomes available.
Limited Imports Despite High Prices
Despite soaring domestic prices, data from the Taiwan International Trade Administration (TITA) shows that banana imports remain minimal.
In 2024, Taiwan imported only 3.34 tons of bananas (HS code 0803 — Bananas, including plantains, fresh or dried), worth less than USD 24,000, primarily from China and South Korea.