The Council of Agriculture (COA) said Taiwan ’s agricultural product exports totaled US$1.8 billion in the first half of 2010, representing an increase of 19.3% over the same period of last year. The main export markets were Japan(accounting for 22.4% of total exports), mainland China(12.4%), Hong Kong (11.9%) and the United States(10.5%) and the export value to China stood at US$231 million, growing 36.4% as compared with the same period of 2009. Agricultural exports to China included US$26.78 million worth of sugar apples, live groupers and other vegetables, fruits and aquatic products with an increase of 61.1%, demonstrating the benefits brought by cross-strait direct shipping and flights.

In addition, the Council noted that the aggregate export value of eel, grouper, Phalaenopsis orchid, Oncidium, mango, lettuce and 23 other major and potential export items directly related to agricultural and fishery production grew 22.6% to US$267.1 million in the first half of 2010. This is a very rare achievement at the time of global economic recession and decreased consumption, and a brilliant result of joint efforts by Taiwan farmers, exporters and other agricultural workers for many years.

In the January-June period the major exported aquatic products were tuna (US$277.64 million, an increase of 20.1%), eel (US$74.67 million, +46.6%), tilapia (US$35.99 million, +11.1%), and grouper (US$20.01 million, +17%). The main agricultural export items included rice (US$8.77 million, an increase of 18.8%), vegetable soybean (US$30.63 million, +6%), mango (US$8.57 million, +47%), tea (US$7.19 million, +18.2%), Oncidium (US$5.99 million, +85%), and Phalaenopsis orchid (US$38.01 million, +39.2%). These statistics showed that Taiwan agricultural products have strong competitiveness in the international market, said the Council.

Since Japan has always been the number one export market for Taiwan farm produce, the Agriculture and Food Agency has established a safety management system for fruits exported to Japan, set up farms supplying quality fruits for export, encouraged exporters to sign letters of intent with cooperating fruit farmers, introduced registration and traceability management systems, and issued export permits only to fruits which passed agricultural chemical residue inspections after harvest and prior to stem-heat treatment since 2007 to ensure both quality and safety of fruits exported to Japan. Because of these measures, Taiwan fruits have won favorable comments from both Japanese importers and consumers. Besides, since the Agriculture and Food Agency has also insisted that any shipment of 2 kilograms or more of tea must pass agricultural chemical residue inspections before being allowed to export, the Japanese government has cancelled its ordered checks on tea imported from Taiwan , enhancing greatly the image of Taiwan agricultural products in the international community.

The beginning of cross-strait direct shipping and flights in December 2008 has created new opportunity for fresh Taiwanfarm produce to be exported to mainland China . Taiwanagricultural exports to China totaled US$231.88 million in the January-June period of 2010, increasing 36.4% as compared with the same period of 2009. Sugar apple was the Taiwan agricultural product whose export value made the largest increase of 210% to US$2.182 million. In addition to Hong Kong, the COA approved on March 19 direct shipping of live fishes to 11 mainland Chinese harbors, greatly shortening delivery time and raising both survival rate and quality of exported live fishes. Plus the business opportunity created by the current Expo 2010 Shanghai China, live groupers exported to China totaled 358 tons with a value of US$2.48 million at the end of June 2010, increasing 17.5% and 12.3% over the same period of last year respectively. After the proposed Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) were signed recently and China lowers the import tariff rate on tea, Oncidium, grouper and 15 other Taiwan agricultural products to zero in 2 years and their export competitiveness surely would be further strengthened in the future, noted the COA.

In order to effectively develop the mainland Chinese market and distinguish Taiwanfarm produce from Chinese products, the Council has applied to register in Chinasuch labels as GAP safe Taiwanvegetables and fruits and CAS quality Taiwan agricultural products. The COA will actively promote these labels, which represent “quality, safety and excellence” of Taiwanfarm produce, through print and electronic media and supermarkets in Chinato build the refined image of Taiwan agricultural products and thereby increase their export quantity and value.