US becomes largest market for Taiwan farm exports

President Tsai Ing-wen promises help for farmers hit by Chinese boycott

By Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2022/12/17 17:45

President Tsai Ing-wen speaks at an agricultural event outside the Presidential Office Building Saturday. (CNA photo)


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s farm exports surged to a record value of $5.67 billion (NT$174.55 billion) last year, with the United States becoming the largest market, showing the country’s diversification policies have worked, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Saturday (Dec. 17).

She was speaking after China blocked the import of food and beverage products from Taiwan, including fish, seafood, fruit and beer. Tsai told a Council of Agriculture (COA) event in front of the Presidential Office on Saturday that Taiwan’s agricultural exports were no longer dependent on just one export market.

In addition to the U.S., Japan, Australia, Canada, the Philippines, and Indonesia were also markets welcoming farm products from Taiwan, the president said. She promised the government would do its utmost to help the farmers and fishermen who had lost their market in China by finding alternatives, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine had disrupted the international food supply chain, but Taiwan still produced a wealth of rice and rice-based foods, Tsai said, adding she hoped farmers would also receive support from local consumers.