The Council of Agriculture (COA) is planning to promote high-quality fruits in the overseas market. Following the success of the overseas promotion through orchid Painted on Aircraft,” the COA is once again cooperating with the China Airlines (CAL), undertaking this time to paint nine different Taiwan-grown tropical fruits like lychees, pineapples, bananas, mangoes, wax apples, star fruits, jujubes (dates), papayas and tangerines on the bodies of China Airline’s recently purchased Airbus A330-300. As the planes fly international routes, they will take these fruit images to places around the world. The press conference was held at the COA auditorium at 3 pm on June 7 unveiling the beautiful replica of the aircraft painted with Taiwan fruits. The maiden voyage of such a flight to Japan will be during the latter part of the month, raising the curtain on the international promotion of Taiwan’s fruits.

According to the COA, in keeping with globalization and liberalization trends in trade, an international marketing plan to promote agricultural products has been organized since 2004. It aims to sell Taiwan’s high-quality produce all over the world. The COA cooperated with China Airlines in the project of “Orchid Painted on Aircraft” to bring the image of the Taiwan’s orchid to Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Middle East. Through the flower growers’ and exporter’s efforts, the export of cut orchids and seeds reached 8.2 million US dollars in 2005, marking a two-fold increase when compared to the export in 2004, thus indicating great success.

Taiwan fruits’ high quality is well-noted just like Taiwan’s orchids in the world market, according to the COA. The Council is pushing “three strategies”—variety betterment, quality improvement and brand marketing—to enhance their international marketing. Export to Japan of mango, another flagship product increased by 25% in total value last year despite the drop in harvest caused by natural disaster, thereby showing the great popularity of the fruit among consumers in Japan. Taiwan’s mango was approved for import into New Zealand in July last year after many years of hard work on quarantine issues, thus, opening another new fruit market for Taiwan.

The COA explained that owing to Taiwan’s advanced technology and unique geographical environment, plus the produce’s high quality and variety, the market of Taiwan’s fruits has extended from neighboring countries, such as Japan, Hong Kong, China and Singapore, to the U.S., New Zealand and Europe. To further expand the fruits’ marketing territory and increase their international popularity, the COA has collaborated with China Airlines again. By painting fruits on the aircraft, it has sought to bring the image of high-quality Taiwan fruits to places worldwide, and this kind of fruits’ exposure helps increase overseas business opportunities.