(1) Upgrading the quality of agriproducts

In order to stabilize production and sales of fruit and upgrade quality, in 2018 the COA guided the “Queen Xin Fruit and Vegetable Production Cooperation” of Changhua County and the “Greenland Farmers’ Cooperative” in Pingtung County to establish large-scale product concentration and distribution sites that meet standards for fruit sanitation and inspection and quarantine. We also (i) subsidized fruit production-and-marketing groups, farmers’ associations, cooperatives, and large-scale product concentration and distribution sites to install 2,466 square meters of cold storage facilities and (ii) subsidized three mobile cold storage containers, creating a complete cold chain for fruit.

In order to improve sanitation and safety in the fisheries product supply chain, the Fisheries Agency of the COA continued to guide fish markets to improve their equipment and their standard operating procedures in order to upgrade the quality and sanitation of fisheries products from the source and ensure the competitiveness of Taiwan’s fisheries products in the domestic and international markets. In 2018 we completed improvement of the environment at nine fish markets and guided two fish markets to implement the “catch shall not touch the ground” policy.

(2) Constructing a modernized logistics and trading system for agriproducts

The COA has guided the Tainan City government in the relocation and rebuilding of the Xinhua fruit and vegetable market. We introduced electronic auction transactions to upgrade efficiency in order to stabilize agriproduct prices and protect the rights and interests of producers and marketers. The winner of the bidding for this project was decided on November 23, 2018, and the contract was signed on December 19. It is estimated that the project will be completed in December of 2020. After its formal opening, it will become a major fruit and vegetable wholesale market for Tainan City, with the functions of (i) concentrating and distributing agriproducts, (ii) stabilizing Groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the Xinhua fruit and vegetable market at a new location. Prices by balancing production and sales, and (iii) driving agricultural production. The COA also guided 20 farmers’ groups including the Yilan County Farmers’ Association, the Ziguan District Farmers’ Association, and the Beidou Cooperative Farm to install cold-chain logistics facilities including 3,930 square meters of cold storage (freezer) facilities and 12 vacuum pre-coolers, to upgrade the quality of agriproducts and increase farmers’ incomes.

The COA offered courses to farmers on trends in agriproducts e-commerce, norms for getting products on store shelves, product grading, and packaging, training a total of 234 participants. We also held four matchmaking meetings for e-commerce channels (one each in northern, central, southern, and eastern Taiwan), with participation by 102 e-commerce farmers and nearly 50 e-commerce platforms. The COA also established a special help line for training and guidance of e-commerce farmers (0800-508-598), which has so far handled more than 1,700 queries. We also completed a handbook on e-commerce logistics, packaging design, and transport for fruits (including strawberries, sugar apples, grapes, peaches, and wax apples). Finally, the COA assisted five small farmers to establish brand names.

(3) Promoting international marketing of agriproducts

In 2018 the COA (i) guided domestic industry associations and farmers’ groups to participate in overseas exhibitions 31 times; (ii) invited overseas trading companies to visit Taiwan eight times; (iii) held overseas agriproduct advertising activities six times; (iv) established one overseas long-term exhibition and sales center for agriproducts; (v) organized six events to open up new retail markets overseas; and (vi) conducted the “Agricultural Product Exporters Brand Counseling Project,” holding 13 training courses for branding and providing one-on-one consultation services for brand management, marketing, and sales channels to a total of 46 participants.

In 2018, the value of agriproduct exports from Taiwan was US$5.463 billion, an increase of 9.69% over 2017. The export value of major products including eel, grouper, tea, atemoya, tilapia, pineapple, and Phalaenopsis orchids increased by over US$5 million each. In addition, the COA’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine hosted the “25th Session of the AIT-TECRO Sanitary, Phytosanitary and Agricultural Standards Working Group Consultations” and the “5^th ANZTEC Sanitary and Phytosanitary Joint Management Committee” to discuss sanitary and phytosanitary technology for exporting products like Oncidium orchids and guava from Taiwan.

(4) Broadening export opportunities for agricultural technology services

In 2018 the COA participated in “Taiwan Expo” activities in Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, as well as in the “Vietstock 2018 Expo and Forum” (livestock products in Vietnam) and “2018 AGRI WORLD Tokyo.” 32 businesses exhibited at these events, and engaged 373 firms in business negotiations, selling products worth NT$61.8 million. We also promoted the “Taiwan Seed Service” platform (which does marketing and branding of Taiwan seeds) at the Asian Seed Congress.

(5) Building direct sales and multiple sales channels for agriproducts

To assist farmers to develop multiple sales channels, the COA has guided the setting up of holiday or weekend farmers’ markets at regular intervals and at two regular locations: the Hope Plaza in Taipei and the Yuanshan venue of the Taipei Flora Expo. We also offer municipal, city, and county governments help with recommending that farmers hold exhibitions and sales promotion activities for in-season agriproducts on Saturdays and Sundays. In 2018, we organized farmers’ markets at the Hope Plaza on 51 occasions, with total sales being NT$275.26 million; we also organized 39 events at the Yuanshan venue of the Taipei Flora Expo, with total sales being NT$160.5 million.

In order to provide consumers with agriproducts that are fresh, safe, ecofriendly, and high quality, and that have special local characteristics, the COA has guided the setting up of “farmers’ markets” “direct sales points for farmers,” and “community shops.” In 2018 we guided the establishment of farmers’ markets in eight locations, of direct sales points for farmers in 15 locations, and of community shops and markets in 34 places. These provided sales points for “local production, local consumption” of agriproducts.

The COA’s Forestry Bureau completed setting up the “Taiwan Wood Network,” providing information on production and sales of domestic wood as well as diversified matchmaking services. This makes forestry information more transparent and more convenient to use. In 2018 we mediated the sale of about 4,000 cubic meters of domestic wood, creating more cooperative business opportunities in forestry. Moreover, since December of 2014, the COA’s Forestry Bureau, the National Taiwan Museum, and the Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation have held the “Footprints Farmers Market” each week in the Museum’s Nanmen Park area. They have invited small farmers from across the country who have been given the “Green Conservation Label” to set up stalls, enabling consumers to support green conservation agriproducts with direct action. In 2018 they organized the “Footprints Farmers Market” 52 times, and also held the “Satoyama Food Festival,” linking together the agriproduct and brand stories of local Taiwan farmers with the ideals of the Satoyama Initiative and the development of green industries.