A delegation of more than 100 fruit farmers, traders and processors from Taiwan hopes to gain access to world markets by taking part in the 2001 China International Fruit and Vegetable Fair.
DPP lawmaker Lin Feng-hsi (林豐喜), leader of the delegation, said yesterday that the activity has been organized to help Taiwan's fruit industry cope with the possible impact of the country's admission to the WTO.
"We hope our participation in the fair will create a business opportunity for Taiwan and find a way to sustain the livelihood of Taiwanese farmers," Lin said.
The fair, hosted by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, will be held from Thursday to Oct. 14 in Xiamen and is expected to attract over 1,000 businesses from 22 countries and various Chinese provinces.
The Taiwanese delegation will run 50 trade-fair stands, with exhibits including fresh local fruits in season and a variety of other fruit products.
Lin said a lot of the Chinese and foreign exhibitors have shown keen interest in Taiwan's exhibits and have requested trade talks with the local exhibitors.
"Taiwan has world-class agricultural produce and techniques, but none of our fruits, with the exception of bananas, have been able to cross the border of Taiwan and make a presence in the world market," Lin said.
For the occasion of the fair, the Taiwan delegation has created the "Subtropics, Taiwan Fresh" logo for its exhibits.
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