Tasty Taiwan food expo kicks off in Malaysia

2019/07/02

Tasty Taiwan, a fair spotlighting the nation’s produce and halal food products, kicked off June 28 in Kuala Lumpur as part of government efforts to expand trade with emerging Muslim markets.
 
 Sponsored by the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture, the event is organized by Taipei City-based Commerce Development Research Institute under a two-year COA initiative to bolster business ties with Indonesia, Malaysia and United Arab Emirates.
 
 Running through July 12 at two Kuala Lumpur department stores, it features products such as coffee, instant noodles, mangoes, sweet potatoes and tea from 48 suppliers. Sales during the two-week fair are expected to total about NT$20 million (US$645,673), according to the COA.
 
 Speaking at the opening ceremony, Anne Hung, head of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia, said Taiwan is an international leader in the field of agricultural technology. Given the nation’s high-quality produce and commitment to promoting halal certification, Taiwan products can help provide more variety in regional markets, she added.
 
 Government efforts to strengthen agriculture and business ties with Muslim-majority countries have paid dividends, the COA said. Agriculture, fishery, forestry and livestock exports to Malaysia jumped 17.7 percent year on year in 2018 to US$111 million, while shipments to the UAE rose 12.2 percent to US$15.2 million over the same period, according to council statistics.
 
 Promotion of halal exports is a priority under the New Southbound Policy. A key plank of the government’s national development strategy, the NSP is enhancing Taiwan’s agriculture, business, culture, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)