To encourage exporters to further expand export markets for Taiwan agricultural products, the Council of Agriculture (COA) held the Top 10 Exporters of Agricultural Products in 2009 Award Ceremony on November 23, 2010 to commend nine outstanding exporters in 10 categories. COA Minister Wu-hsiung Chen said in the ceremony that the award-winning exporters have not only made impressive export achievements, their teams which combine agriculture with commerce and trade have also successfully created an excellent image for Taiwan agricultural products in the international community. This brilliant performance is really a good example for the industry and deserves recognition by all walks of life, added Chen.

Foreign Consumers Have Confidence in Taiwan Products Due to Award-winning Exporters’ Quality Operations

The COA noted that the export values of the awardees in 2009 were among the top five in each category, and all their products have passed related inspections and certifications. For example, San-hao rice products supplied by Yeedon Enterprise Co., Ltd. have CAS and produce traceability labels; frozen Edamame is the main product of TaiMei Food Company and because the Edamame are processed within four hours after being mechanically harvested the delicious and healthy food item is very popular among Japanese consumers; Formosa Grower International mainly exports such tropical fruits as Taiwan mango, papaya, banana and pineapple to Japan and South Korea; Taiwan Sugar Corporation is known for its cultivation of Phalaenopsis orchids and its greenhouse has won the certificate for Phalaenopsis orchids to be exported to the United States with medium, and the company also exports agricultural products to France, Canada and Belgium; tea is the main product of Ten Ren Tea Co., Ltd. which has won consumers’ confidence after passing HACCP validation and ISO22000 and ISO9001 certifications; pork products of Sings Kout Trading Co., Ltd. are very popular among Japanese consumers because of the company’s careful selection of materials and strict manufacturing process; Shin-Sei Frozen Foods Co., Ltd. mainly exports frozen duck and smoked duck with unique taste which are well received by consumers; the GloFish is the most famous product of Taikong Corporation and its crystal shrimp and tropical fish are very popular among Japanese, American and European consumers; Forever Frozen Seafoods, Inc., which was the top exporter in the categories of “fish and its products” and “Cephalopod, shellfish and its products,” mainly exports frozen tilapia, frozen milkfish, frozen squid and frozen shrimp to the United States, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Belgium and it has sales channels in all continents. The award-winning exporters have not only had brilliant export performance, but also demonstrated that many local producers of agricultural products and their processing companies have created an image of quality and safety for Taiwan agriculture with their faith and sincerity.

Exporters in 7 Categories Increased Exports in the Face of Adversity

The COA further explained that consumption contraction caused by the global financial crisis in 2009 led to decrease of Taiwanagricultural product exports while Typhoon Morakot seriously devastated agricultural production areas in central and southern Taiwan in August 2009, leading to insufficient supply for agricultural product exports. The export of agricultural products totaled US$3.28 billion in 2009, decreasing 16.7% as compared with 2008. However, exports of grouper, Phalaenopsis orchid, Edamame and lettuce in 2009 grew by more than US$1 million each with an annual increase of 281.7%, 20%, 9.3% and 87.5%, respectively. It is really not easy that Yeedon, Taimei. Formosa , Taiwan Sugar, Forever (two awards) and Sing Kout, award-winning exporters in 7 categories, still maintained export increases in the difficult financial situation. As the global economy recovered gradually in 2010, Taiwan agricultural product exports between January and October totaled US$3.28, increasing 23.7% over the same period of 2009. And the export of 29 major agricultural products totaled US$480 million, growing 30.6% as compared with 2009 and demonstrating the Council’s efforts in promoting Taiwan agricultural product exports for many years have gotten concrete results.

The Council hopes to encourage more exporters to enhance the competitiveness of Taiwan agricultural products by commending top agricultural product exporters and sharing their experience of success, and the passion and faith of each successful exporter can be carried on to continue expanding export markets for Taiwan agricultural products, said the COA.