In the run-up to the Jan. 14 elections the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presented the export of Taiwanese milkfish to China as one of its own political achievements.
However, over the past few days we have been getting media reports that the milkfish exported to China have not been selling as well over there as had been hoped, and that the reaction of Chinese consumers has been tepid. To put a number on it, Taiwan only managed to sell 913 tonnes of milkfish to China last year, at a total value of just under US$2.5 million.
According to the Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO), the lack of interest could be explained by the name, as the Chinese contains the character for “louse,” and the association puts people off. TAO staff suggested a change in the Chinese name to something the local population would find more acceptable. The Council of Agriculture (COA) went along with this idea, saying the name should be changed, a suggestion that has not been well received in Taiwan.
It was only to be expected that milkfish sales would be less than ideal in China, but not because of the product’s Chinese name. The real reason for the poor showing was the government’s failure to conduct a thorough market survey before it went ahead. It rushed into exporting to primary markets — such as Shanghai and Beijing. The result was that the attempt went the same way as the failed marketing of Taiwanese fruit in China.
The government put political considerations first. The milkfish shipped to China had not been graded or processed properly. Milkfish is very bony and the flesh has an earthy flavor, both of which could turn customers away.
Initial unfavorable impressions among the local population will be difficult to change, and this is not very good for the long-term prospects of Taiwanese fish farmers trying to establish the product.
If the government genuinely wants to help, it should come up with a comprehensive plan. This would involve first introducing marine-farmed milkfish, which do not have that earthy taste, into the new market, making sure the fish is first subjected to a rigorous selection process and graded accordingly, and then processed appropriately, to ensure quality.
At the same time it should conduct long-term, detailed market research (not the sporadic studies that featured in the past) to establish the preferences of Chinese consumers, region by region, to see what kind of marine products they would be willing to try.
When the results of this research suggest a potential gap in the market, this can be pursued further. For example, the COA could commission local chefs to devise ways to cook the fish to suit the tastes of local consumers, and then bring in a marketing team to do what marketing teams do best: find people to endorse the product, energetically promote it and come up with catchy advertising slogans, to use all the marketing tools at their disposal to get that fish on people’s dinner tables. After they are done, there will be no fish left unsold.
If you want a good example of how this can be done, look no further than the Norwegian government’s successful promotion of salmon in China.
The biggest headache for the milkfish industry at the moment is an inadequate production and distribution network in Taiwan. The government should come up with concrete proposals to help milkfish farmers overcome these problems and, through biotech research and development, find a way to address the two main problems of milkfish — namely the large number of small bones and the earthy flavor. This is the best strategy to open up foreign markets and help the industry develop.
Lee Wu-chung is a professor of agricultural economics.
Translated by Paul Cooper
Saudi Arabian largesse is flooding Egypt’s cultural scene, but the reception is mixed. Some welcome new “cooperation” between two regional powerhouses, while others fear a hostile takeover by Riyadh. In Cairo, historically the cultural capital of the Arab world, Egyptian Minister of Culture Nevine al-Kilany recently hosted Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki al-Sheikh. The deep-pocketed al-Sheikh has emerged as a Medici-like patron for Egypt’s cultural elite, courted by Cairo’s top talent to produce a slew of forthcoming films. A new three-way agreement between al-Sheikh, Kilany and United Media Services — a multi-media conglomerate linked to state intelligence that owns much of
The US and other countries should take concrete steps to confront the threats from Beijing to avoid war, US Representative Mario Diaz-Balart said in an interview with Voice of America on March 13. The US should use “every diplomatic economic tool at our disposal to treat China as what it is... to avoid war,” Diaz-Balart said. Giving an example of what the US could do, he said that it has to be more aggressive in its military sales to Taiwan. Actions by cross-party US lawmakers in the past few years such as meeting with Taiwanese officials in Washington and Taipei, and
The Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan has no official diplomatic allies in the EU. With the exception of the Vatican, it has no official allies in Europe at all. This does not prevent the ROC — Taiwan — from having close relations with EU member states and other European countries. The exact nature of the relationship does bear revisiting, if only to clarify what is a very complicated and sensitive idea, the details of which leave considerable room for misunderstanding, misrepresentation and disagreement. Only this week, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) received members of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations
Denmark’s “one China” policy more and more resembles Beijing’s “one China” principle. At least, this is how things appear. In recent interactions with the Danish state, such as applying for residency permits, a Taiwanese’s nationality would be listed as “China.” That designation occurs for a Taiwanese student coming to Denmark or a Danish citizen arriving in Denmark with, for example, their Taiwanese partner. Details of this were published on Sunday in an article in the Danish daily Berlingske written by Alexander Sjoberg and Tobias Reinwald. The pretext for this new practice is that Denmark does not recognize Taiwan as a state under