Taiwanese fruits and vegetables in limelight

Manama : In a bid to promote Taiwanese agricultural products, an exhibition of fruits, vegetables and flowers of that country were held at Al Jazira Supermarket in Zinj yesterday.

The fruits and greens arrived from Taiwan’s Pingtung County which is the production base for farming, forestry, fishery and animal husbandry in Taiwan.

The event was aimed at promoting the county’s top quality agricultural products and open up a broader export channel to establish the possibility of long-term cooperation between the Taiwanese and Middle Eastern food markets.

“Taiwan’s world-class greens have been exhibited in Bahrain for the past five years in this esteemed supermarket. This year, we have Taiwan’s Pingtung County’s produces for the exhibition as it has often led to inquiries within the Middle East,” said Michael T. Chen, Representative of the Trade Mission of Taiwan in Bahrain.

 “The Middle East highly appreciates Pingtung fruits and flowers. In 2016, Pingtung County’s pineapples, guavas, lemons, organic roses and bergamot juice were brought to the GCC and right after the promotional event, some Dubai-based traders travelled all the way to Pingtung to place purchase orders in bulk,” he added, emphasising on Pingtung’s soil’s great potential.

Bahrain’s 2017 exhibition, which was also attended by Abdulhussain Khalil Dawani, Chairman of Al Jazira Group and Pan Men-an, Pingtung’s Magistrate, included a tasting session of the county’s fresh guavas, dragon fruits, lemons, golden diamond pineapples and two types of high quality orchids – Oncidium or ‘Dancing Lady Orchids’ and Vanda.

Experts at the event also spoke about the uniqueness and nutritional values of Taiwanese fruits and flowers. 

“While most of these fruits are found in different Asian regions, the ones from Taiwan are sweeter, rich in nutrients and health-benefits. As opposed to being white, the pinkish- red dragon fruits from Taiwan are filled with iron and fibres, making them extremely beneficial for anaemic and cholesterol-prone individuals,” said an expert.

Taiwan is home to a multi-billion-dollar fruit and vegetable industry with immense technological prowess in seeding, cultivation and ripening and has held multiple agricultural expos around the globe in the past year.

“Such events are a brilliant way to promote Taiwan’s large varieties of fruits and flowers while also letting the farmers understand their customers’ needs more clearly. Hopefully, soon the produce from Pingtung can be distributed to GCC’s member countries on larger scales,” said Pan Men-an, Pingtung’s Magistrate.