【Event】Taiwan provides fruit for Japanese school lunches, expanding exports
(Formosa News) The Ministry of Agriculture has been supplying Kasama City in Japan with fruit for its school lunches for seven years. This year, Taiwan’s bananas were one of the highlights. Students get to taste Taiwan’s fruits and share their impressions, as the ministry works with local governments in Japan to expand exports of Taiwanese produce.
Musicians strum the shamisen, a traditional Japanese instrument, giving a powerful performance at the Taipei Hope Plaza.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Hu Jong-i, Representative Taiwan Office in Kasama City Director Tsuboi Yuki, and other representatives from Taiwan and Japan fill a box with Taiwanese bananas, symbolizing the fruits that are about to be exported to Japan.
Hu Jong-i
Deputy Minister of Agriculture
Over the past seven years, we have been supplying fruit to an increasing number of cities and students. In addition to bananas, Taiwan also provides pineapples, mangoes, pomelos, jujubes, and more, increasing the visibility of our high-quality agriculture produce in the international market.
Tsuboi Yuki
Representative Taiwan Office in Kasama City Director
This year, in addition to bananas, Taiwan provided pineapples and mangoes for our school lunches. Japanese students who have eaten Taiwanese fruits think they are beautiful, high quality, and taste great. They have a great impression of Taiwanese bananas.
Nearly 10 tons of Taiwanese bananas are being sent to 223 schools in Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture, reaching over 68,000 students. By providing students with fresh fruit, the ministry hopes to increase demand for Taiwanese fruits in Japan, and even export related products such as banana fries, cookies, and cakes.
Hu Jong-i
Deputy Minister of Agriculture
We have driven the export of our fruits to countries around the world, improved our supply chain and cold chain facilities, and advanced our technology. Increasing exports also boosts domestic market prices, providing tangible benefits to farmers’ income.
Taiwan has been exporting quality fruits to Japanese schools for seven years. From student lunches to family dining tables, this has boosted demand for Taiwanese fruit and enhanced cooperation between Taiwan’s and Japan’s agriculture industries.