The Taiwan International Orchid Show attracted more than 300,000 visitors this year and is projected to generate export orders worth more than NT$10 billion (US$312.8 million) over the next three to five years, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday following its closure on Monday.
Up to 224 meetings between the 37 local orchid business operators and 32 buyers from 20 nations were held during the exhibition, it said.
Those meetings secured orders worth a total of US$23.46 million, up by 3 percent from last year, and are expected to further generate export orders worth up to NT$10.18 billion, the ministry said.
Photo: Yang Chin-cheng, Taipei Times
Sales at the exhibition amounted to NT$13.97 million, while local specialties and agricultural products of Tainan — where the exhibition was held — created a total sales of about NT$9 million, it said.
To extend the benefits of the exhibition to local communities, the Floral Industry Innovation Center has decided to select 25,000 potted flowers that are in good conditions from the exhibition and give them to 75 public agencies, nonprofit organizations and schools free of charge, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the ministry on Thursday said that an agricultural festival would be held on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei on April 3, ahead of Children’s Day on April 4.
The festival would revolve around hands-on agricultural activities and parent-child interactive games, aimed to help both adults and children learn more about food, land and agriculture.
Ministry Secretary-General Lin Chia-jung (林家榮) said agriculture is not just an industry, but also part of people’s daily life.
The ministry continues to incorporate agriculture into urban life, and create opportunities for the public to understand agriculture and support locally grown products, he said.
The festival would have a maze themed around fruits and vegetables, as well as art installations made of rice straws, the ministry said.
A stage clearing game would also be set up for visitors to collect stamps in exchange for various gifts, it said.
People can sign up for food and agriculture experience activities on the ministry’s Facebook page from Monday next week, it said.
The “South Taipei Fun Carnival” would also be held concurrently at Nanhai Academy (南海學園) from April 3 to April 4, to provide more different immersive or hands-on activities to promote domestically grown products, it added.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
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