The Council of Agriculture (COA) started its two-day autumn agricultural commodities fair in Taipei yesterday, aiming to promote quality-certified fresh food products from different parts of the country.
COA Deputy Minister Chen Wen-te (陳文德) said that to promote “fresh, safe and good quality” domestic agricultural food, the fair includes special sections promoting organically grown foods and products freshly delivered from Taitung County — where farms have been seriously damaged by Typhoon Saola and Typhoon Tembin last month.
Although the county’s agricultural sector has been hurt by the typhoons, the fresh in-season sugar apples and pomelos sold at the fair are of good quality, Chen said, expressing hope that consumers would support Taitung farmers by purchasing their products.
Food products from Taitung County sold at the fair included red oolong tea, marnitated roselle (洛神花) and organic vegetables, as well as products directly delivered from other counties, such as organic burdock root grown in Pingtung County, endemic mountain yam from Chiayi County and mushrooms from Greater Taichung.
With the Mid-Autumn Festival around the corner, the fair also sells barbecue food products that are popular during the holiday, such as pork and seafood products.
In accordance with the fair’s main theme — “Autumn, keeping in good health (秋天養生)” — the COA invited doctors of Chinese medicine to answer consumers’ questions on how to keep a healthy diet. In addition, the COA has invited teachers and students from a university’s department of food and beverage management to demonstrate how to cook creative healthy meals.
The second day of the fair is to be held from 10am to 6pm today at the Hope Plaza.
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