In order to open up market channels internationally for Taiwan’s agricultural products, the Council of Agriculture has actively gathered invited agricultural trade associations, agricultural organizations, agricultural groups, and agricultural edibles food manufacturers to form a delegations to take part in the “2006 Tokyo International Food Exhibition” on March 14 to 17 in Tokyo, Japan. The cCouncil has planned to highlight the fine quality of Taiwan’s agricultural products in the “Taiwan Pavilion” at what has been recognized as one of the world’s three largest food exhibitions. Taiwan’s showcase has been designed to attract overseas buyers to view see the products and place orderstalk trade matters.
The cCouncil points out that getting agricultural producers traders and food manufacturers to team up and take part in major international

Su Jia-chyuan, center, Council of Agriculture minister, guests pose behind a model of Taiwan's exhibition hall with guests to introduce the Foodex Japan 2006 exhibition, which will be held from March 14 to 17 in Tokyo, Japan. Fifty-seven companies from Taiwan will participate in the trade show./ RICK YI, TAIWAN NEWS

food exhibitions has always been high in priority in its working agenda. Regarding the Tokyo International Food Exhibition in March, businessmen from more than 80 countries are taking part. Taiwan’s presence, therefore, is a must. Besides, Japan is the largest export market of Taiwan’s agricultural products. Their total exported value amounted to US$1.3 billion in 2005, representing 36% of Taiwan’s agricultural exports. Therefore, the cCouncil has been actively planning such international event participation. All efforts have been channeled towards showing the safety, the excellence, the healthiness, and the abundance of special characteristics of Taiwan’s agricultural products. The goal has been to further expand the overseas markets for the agricultural products.
In this exhibition, the cCouncil has selected 57 excellent producers of agricultural food products to take part in the fair, and has designed, as a whole, a Taiwan Pavilion of 1,200 square meters for these participants. This hall is considered to be the largest over the years. The hall has six major sections for fresh vegetables and fruits, tea, seafood, animal husbandry products, rice, and special processed agricultural products. Here in the hall can be found products like Taiwanese rice, banana, pineapple and other fresh vegetables and fruits, tea, preserved fruits, animal husbandry products, and seafood products (fresh and frozen items like fish for preparing sashimi), Chinese frozen and processed food, health foods, drinks, candies, biscuits, and processed special agricultural products known for conformity to high health and sanitation standards..
The cCouncil has picked for highlight at the entry of the Taiwan Pavilion one of the four flagship products -- the oolong tea. This has been in consideration of the Japanese consumers’ lifestyle. The “Tea and Life” notion has a strong appeal to them. Tea art demonstration and tea tasting are being organized for the visitors for the duration of the food exhibition. A total of 23 dynamic product demonstrations and product tasting events have been lined up to enable the public to get to know better Taiwanese rice, Taiwanese tea, casual edibles and traditional drinks during the exhibition. More buyers can, thus, be enticed to visit Taiwan Pavilion to talk business.

To boost the morale of fair participants and prepare them for the event, the cCouncil held a press conference on the “2006 Tokyo International Food Exhibition.” DirectorMinister Su Chia-chuan personally handed over the flag of Taiwan to the head of the delegation, and also received products that are to be showcased at the fair, indicating the ambition of the government and food producers to explore the overseas market for Taiwanese products. Su further emphasized that the brand image of Taiwan’s agricultural products as being safe, and of high quality as shown in the Taiwan Pavilion should pave the way for the full-scale penetration of the markets in Japan and the rest of the world. This should be a big step in promoting Taiwan’s agricultural products in the international marketcommunity.