The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) will step up efforts to promote the exporting of locally-grown fruits, TAITRA Secretary-General Chao Yung-chuan (
Chao was speaking at the opening of a TAITRA office in Hsinchu County during a trade fair featuring agricultural goods produced in the northern counties of Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli.
As part of these efforts, Chao said, TAITRA would join forces with the Council of Agriculture (COA) and other government agencies to persuade Japan to allow Taiwan's Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) to examine produce to be exported there on its behalf.
Japan is the nation's major export market for agricultural produce. But all fruit imported by Japan is subject to pre-shipment inspection by Japanese officials, with the exception of bananas and pineapples.
"We hope Japan can authorize the BSMI ... to conduct pre-delivery inspections on [their] behalf ... to save time and cut red tape," Chao said.
Due to the outbreak of SARS between March and June last year, Chao said, Japanese inspectors did not perform their duties here, resulting in an 80 percent decline in mango and lichee exports to that country.
Meanwhile, Chao said, TAITRA has invited two procurement executives from Japan's Hansin Department Store and five South Korean representatives to attend the agricultural goods trade fair.
Chao said the Japanese and South Korean delegations would tour fruit orchards and processing facilities in the Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli area to see the fruit production process for themselves.
In addition, TAITRA will launch promotions in both Hong Kong and Singapore to boost sales of Taiwan's fruit in those markets, he said.
Hsinchu County Commissioner Cheng Yung-chin (
The county government was organizing a fruit expo for Jan. 17 and Jan. 18 to boost sales and celebrate the harvest, Cheng said. Local people were also welcome to visit the trade show.
A COA official also said yesterday that owners of Taiwan's hog farms wanted to maintain current production capacities over the next few years.
He said that according to a survey conducted by the council at the end of November, there were 6.78 million hogs in the country. Ninety-one percent of hog-farm owners said they wanted to maintain the same level of production, while only six percent said they wanted to raise more hogs. Three percent said they wanted to raise fewer hogs.
The survey also found that most hog-farm owners were bracing for increased competition under the framework of the WTO.
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