Typhoon Soulik that hit Ishigaki Island about ten days ago, damaged 40% of the island’s pineapple crop that was ready to be harvested for sale, according to Okinawa JA.

The storm broke the stems of the pineapples, and JA is considering buying them to be used for processed food instead selling them as fresh fruit.

The damage area is about 28,000 square meters of the total 70,000 square meters of pineapple fields on Ishigaki Island, which is 40% of the total. The amount of damaged fruit is about 65 tons that translated into ¥20,460,000 worth of damages. The pineapples were almost ready for harvest, when their stems break easily because of the weight of the fruit.

Its unusual that JA purchases typhoon damaged produce. In this case, JA decides prices by size, the extent of damage and ripeness. Farmers welcome the JA decision even if the price of the crop is much cheaper than the regular price.

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