Taiwan’s Mitagri Co (台農發) on Friday signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Japan’s Farmind Corp, with the aim of exporting Taiwanese bananas, pineapples and other agricultural products to Japan.
Mitagri’s chariman Chen Yu-jan (陳郁然) signed the LOI with Farmind’s representative in Tokyo, while Council of Agriculture (COA) Deputy Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) also attended the ceremony as a witness.
Japan exports about 40,000 tonnes of fruit per year, 65 percent of which are exported to Taiwan, Chen said, adding that the two nations could become complementary trade partners given that they produce varied fruits in different seasons.
The two companies agreed to purchase up to ¥10 billion (US$89.43 million) of each other’s produce over five years, COA Department of International Affairs Deputy Director-General Lin Chia-jung (林家榮) said.
Meanwhile, the council on Thursday announced that the nation is to halt importing apples from South Africa, as a highly procreative pest, the codling moth, was found in an imported apple.
Codling moths are a pest that attack apples, pears, plums and other fruits grown on trees. It has been found in countries such as the US, Japan, Chile, but is still alien to Taiwan.
This is the first time in 30 years that such a pest was found in apples imported from South Africa, Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Deputy Director-General Feng Hai-tung (馮海東) said.
A total of 1,176 boxes of apples, about 21,462kg, are to be returned to South Africa or destroyed, depending on the exporter’s decision, Feng said.
ANOTHER EMERGES: The CWA yesterday said this year’s fourth storm of the typhoon season had formed in the South China Sea, but was not expected to affect Taiwan Tropical Storm Gaemi has intensified slightly as it heads toward Taiwan, where it is expected to affect the country in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 8am yesterday, the 120km-radius storm was 800km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving at 9kph northwest, the agency said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued tonight at the earliest, it said, adding that the storm is projected to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday. Gaemi’s potential effect on Taiwan remains unclear, as that would depend on its direction, radius and intensity, forecasters said. Former Weather Forecast
Taiwanese barista Xie Yi-chen (謝溢宸) recently triumphed at the 2024 World Coffee Championships, taking home 1st place in the World Latte Art category. Xie, 28, impressed the judges in the final round with patterns of a whale, a moose, and a dragon in the three-day competition that took place in Copenhagen, Denmark from June 27-29, clinching the title of latte art world champion during his first time representing Taiwan on the world stage. At a press conference held by the Taiwan Coffee Association on Thursday, Xie said that creating latte art gives him a tremendous feeling of achievement. Speaking about his entries in
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The annual Taipei Summer Festival, which starts today, is to tone down its fireworks displays, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said on Monday. Fireworks displays are to be held at the riverside site in Datong District’s (大同) Dadaocheng (大稻埕) area on four days at this year’s festival, with the first today, and then on Wednesday next week, July 31 and Aug. 10, the department said. There were eight displays last year, with the reduction aimed at minimizing inconvenience to local residents, it said. The first three shows, which are all on Wednesdays, are to last for five minutes, while the final