Taiwanese city’s work to market agriculture bears fruit in Vancouver

Janice Shen knew exactly what was on sale as soon as she parked her car outside Fresh Street Market in West Vancouver on a warm Saturday in July.

“You could smell the sweetness of the fruit from blocks away,” said Shen, the former president of the local Chinese Women Entrepreneurs Association and a West Vancouver resident. “The sweetness of the fruits grown in the tropics — from Taiwan — is very distinct. I’ve missed it since moving here.”

What Shen experienced was the start a campaign by the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung to establish its fruits — one of the island’s top agricultural exports — in the Canadian market. Earlier this summer, Kaohsiung’s agricultural bureau launched a series of tastings in Metro Vancouver and Toronto, focusing on mango, guava and dragon fruit.

Officials said that they chose the locations on purpose: Vancouver and Toronto both boast large Chinese-speaking communities that already have an appreciation for Taiwan’s fruit.

Fresh Street Market and Richmond’s Foody Mart said public response to the Kaohsiung

campaign was strong, with all the fruit selling out in one day.

Taiwan exported US$120 million worth of fruit last year, but some observers worry about future growth since the industry’s gains in recent years have been mainly from the opening of the mainland Chinese market. A report from Taipei’s United Daily News said mainland China was the destination for 63 per cent of Taiwan’s fruit exports.

With Taiwan-China relations cooling in recent months, Taiwanese exports now face tougher regulations from Beijing.

In response, Taiwan has stepped up efforts to seek other markets for its goods, announcing earlier this month a new drive to push Taiwanese agricultural products in markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Canada, with its large Taiwanese community, is also a target.

“I think there’s definitely a market here,” Shen said. “There are now a lot of higher-end Chinese consumers here, and they don’t care if the price is high — they just want good quality.”

Taiwan has started to market its fruit products more aggressively. The island’s tropical climate is ideal for growing pineapples, and the city of Kaohsiung is also promoting Taiwanese mango, guava and dragon fruit.