COA promote Taiwan fruit exports

The Council of Agriculture is teaming up with the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) to promote homegrown fruits and vegetables for overseas market, according to TAITRA Dec. 29. Two fruit and vegetable exhibits were held in mainland China in December, and another six are scheduled for January, TAITRA said. In addition, Malaysia and Singapore will each play host to two similar exhibits before the upcoming Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan. 23 in 2012. COA officials said these efforts are expected to attract orders for a total of 5,800 metric tons of Taiwan-produced fruits and vegetables, including wax apples, sugar apples, pineapples and persimmons.

Noting that in Chinese culture fruits are given as gifts, the COA said that in Shanghai many of the items will be sold in specially prepared fruit boxes. According to TAITRA, the government will do its best to promote local agriculture products in overseas markets. Since 2004, the agency said, the COA has held three to four seasonal fruit fairs in Hong Kong every year, with a TAITRA-operated store there selling more than 1,000 types of local Taiwan specialties, including meatballs from Hsinchu City, sergistid shrimps from Pingtung County and peanut candy from Kinmen Count.

Taiwan specialties have generated more than NT$60 million (US$1.98 million) annually over the past few years, officials said. In addition to the COA and TAITRA, the officials noted, overseas distributors have also played a significant role in selling Taiwan fruit products and specialties to overseas consumers. More than NT$150 million of Taiwan fruit products have been sold via T&T Supermarket Inc. in Canada, KI Fresh Access Inc. in Japan, and 99 Ranch Market in the U.S., according to officials. The COA said exports of local agriculture products amounted to US$3.87 billion in first 10 months of 2011, 17.5 percent more than the same period last year. (

Source: taiwantoday.tw