It is time to send out festival gifts around the turn of the year! The Council of Agriculture (COA) formally recommended at a press conference on December 28, 2009 the 100 locally produced quality farm and fish products it has selected for people of Taiwan as gifts in 2010 after strict screening. The Council is convinced that these tasty, healthful and safe products which combine traditional handicraft and fashionable package are the best choice of gifts to convey your warmest blessings to employees, relatives or friends.

The COA has increased Taiwan farmers' and fishermen's associations' revenues by approximately NT$200 million every year by organizing the selection and sale of 100 quality products manufactured by the associations. This has also contributed greatly to the transformation of the associations and the increase of farmers' income. Almost 100 quality products from 79 farmers' and fishermen's associations were selected from more than 400 farm and fish products participating in the selection for 2010. And 49 of the newly selected products are being chosen for the first time. The elimination rate of some 50 percent shows that the competition has become more fierce as farmers' and fishermen's associations attached more importance to the selection of 100 quality products and strived hard for transformation and development of new products with higher quality.

The selection of the 100 quality products for 2010 appealed for "healthful contents, fashionable package and traditional handicraft." COA Minister Chen Wu-hsiung said the Executive Yuan has listed the "healthful and excellent quality agriculture project" as one of the six key emerging industries to be developed with active government assistance. Based on the policy concepts of "health, efficiency and sustainable development" regarding agriculture, the government has set "health, excellence and Lohas (lifestyles of health and sustainability)" as the three themes of quality agriculture and assisted farmers' and fishermen's associations to convert traditional local products into fashionable quality products with brand names in the spirit of "producing locally after strict screening." The key point of Lohas agriculture is to create a win-win situation for griculture, farmers and farmers' and fishermen's associations by increasing the added value of agricultural products. 

The Council has assisted farmers' associations to upgrade themselves through educational trainings, gradually stricter selection criteria and product development and package design guidance, said the COA. To be selected as one of the 100 quality products, the agricultural product is required to pass related food sanitary inspections or accreditations first, providing consumers with an agricultural product which is good to health and safe with stable quality. Farmers' associations then increase the products' added value with fine and competitive package and establish the brand name with products of high grade, so the products have won the support and approval of many consumers.
 
The COA noted that although it suspended the large-scaled "100 quality products show 2010" because its resources have been invested in the rescue and relief as well as reconstruction efforts after Typhoon Morakot heavily damaged central and southern Taiwan, it has still selected the 100 quality products for 2010 and recommended them to people of Taiwan. In addition to mailing catalog of the quality products to board chairmen of the top 1,500 companies in Taiwan for reference when choosing gifts for the Lunar Chinese New Year and other festivals as well as conference of shareholders and distributing supermarket edition of the catalog at various selling channels, the COA is cooperating with Wellcome, the largest supermarket chain in Taiwan, for some of the quality products to be sold at Wellcome's Jasons Market Place (both at Taipei 101 and Q-Square) until after the Lunar Chinese New Year holidays. And whether to increase the quality products on sale there will depend on market reactions. This is the first time the 100 quality ptoducts are sold at top-class supermarkets and this will help people of Taiwan better understand domestic quality products and improve the image of Taiwan farmers' and fishermen's associations and their agricultural products.

The COA said what the quality products advertise is "made in Taiwan" and local products with great taste produced at the farmers' insistence with serious efforts. All consumers are welcome to buy the quality products at Jasons Market Place or on Internet. For further information, please check the COA website (www.coa.gov.tw), the Taipei Farmers' Association Living Space Web ( www.living101.com.tw), or Taipei County Farmers' Association Food Store (www.ubox.org.tw). For group purchase, please call (02)2555-7070 to contact Taiwan Agricultural Integrated Marketing Association, which will designate someone to provide you with satisfactory services.