News
After a decade of separation, Taiwan bananas return to Korean market
The superior Taiwanese banana once again ship to Korea market thanks to the efforts of exporters. After a decade lapse, the Port of Kaohsiung is smoothly shipping Taiwanese bananas to Korea as of today (March 5). To mark with this imported activity, the Council of Agriculture will take promotion activities by holding press conferences and exhibiting Taiwan’s banana in Seoul in late March. Emphasis is placed on increasing Taiwanese bananas and expanding the Taiwan fruit export market.
The Council points out that Taiwan is crossed by the Tropic of Cancer and therefore temperature differences from day to night can be extreme. The banana growing season is fairly long, resulting in a rich harvest and good quality. Under these particular atmospheric circumstances, bananas are particularly flavorful and carry a fantastic aroma, not to mention the correct texture for presentation and consumption. Taiwanese bananas fare better on the Japanese market as a result than do those of Southern and Central America. In recent years, Taiwanese bananas only have had spotty sales on the Korean market, but economic development there has been grown continuously, increasing buying power of consumers and making it possible for this successful trade cooperation between Taiwanese exporters and Korean importers.
In 2006, 98% of Taiwan banana exports to Japan. Japanese economic situation have thereby affected the Taiwan banana sales. Future expansion of Taiwan’s market with the addition of the Korean market promises both increased exports and further development of this fruit.
Presently, the main Taiwan’s banana market is Japan, so the Council will be in attendance at the 2007 FOODEX JAPAN exhibition where it will offer opportunity for exporters to bridge the gap between Japanese importers and retailers by holding promotional activities directly at supermarkets to make a deeper impression on Japanese consumers of the stylistic difference of this Taiwanese fruit thereby increasing its presence in the Japanese market.
COA notes that banana is a highly characteristic Taiwanese fruit and increased presence on the Korean and Japanese markets through these marketing efforts will increase the exportability of Taiwanese bananas, stabilize the domestic market and increase farmers’ income.
