Agricultural exports to the 18 nations targeted by the New Southbound Policy for trade cooperation last year grew 9.3 percent, the Council of Agriculture said yesterday, calling the increase an encouraging sign for government efforts to diversify the nation’s markets.
Taiwan’s agricultural exports to the nations last year totaled US$1.43 billion, with Vietnam and Thailand the top markets at US$469 million and US$300 million respectively, the Department of International Affairs said.
Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia each bought about US$100 million of Taiwan’s agricultural exports, while Singapore purchased about US$94 million, it said.
The nation’s agricultural exports to New Zealand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore increased by 35.6 percent, 29.7 percent, 17.7 percent and 17.4 percent respectively, the department added.
The main exports were beef, pig skin, down and feathers, frozen tuna and moth orchids to Vietnam; frozen tuna and mackerel to Thailand; and frozen Japanese sea bass to Australia, showing that the fishery industry is important to Taiwan’s international trade, it said.
Pineapple cakes, crackers, instant noodles and other food products were highly competitive in Australia and Singapore, where moth orchids from Taiwan are also popular, the department said.
The council raised the profile of Taiwanese agricultural products and opened pathways to consumers by hosting events last year in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, department Director-General Hung Chung-hsiu (洪忠修) said.
The council also organized Taiwanese fruit and vegetable festivals at the three largest supermarkets in Singapore and continued expending significant resources on marketing the nation’s products, he said.
The council’s agricultural exports platform — which integrates services providing equipment, disease control and marketing capabilities — has begun operations, Hung said, adding that the aim is to increase agricultural produce by 10 percent each year.
The council welcomes farmers’ cooperatives to enroll in the platform, he said.
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