Page 108 - 2018 Annual Report Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan

Collective Singing The Harvest Song Unit 4: Marketing Agricultural Products and Communicating Rural Policies (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 “5th 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. 106