The Tainan City Government helped local fish farmers expand overseas markets with the first export of five tonnes of tilapia to Singapore on Wednesday.
Mayor Huang Wei-che attended the shipment launch ceremony at the city’s aquatic products processing and logistics center in Jiangjun District on Wednesday. He noted the tilapia products exported to Singapore include fish fillets, fish steaks, and ready-to-eat tilapia dishes, which will be supplied to restaurants and supermarkets, per CNA.
Taiwan’s tilapia exports primarily go to the US, Canada, and the Middle East. To help local fish farmers cope with the impact of US tariffs, the city government plans to use the export to Singapore as a starting point to diversify its overseas markets.
Huang said that in April, the city government led local food businesses to participate in the FHA-Food & Beverage expo in Singapore. He added that Tainan’s orchids, pineapples, and tilapia dishes were well-received by visitors at the event. He hopes the expo will serve as an opportunity for Tainan’s agricultural products to expand into the Southeast Asian market.
DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei also attended the ceremony. She said that Singapore has very high standards for food safety and cold chain logistics, and the successful export of Tainan’s tilapia to the country reflects its safety and high quality.
According to Tainan’s Agricultural Bureau, the city produces about 25,000 tonnes of tilapia annually, accounting for around 45% of Taiwan’s total output. The bureau said that participation in the Singapore expo also led to a collaboration between Tainan Fishery Marketing Co. and the local company Longrunn Food to develop tilapia-based products.
The bureau added that the city’s aquatic products processing and logistics center covers 1.72 hectares and features a processing plant, cold storage facilities, and a logistics vehicle hub. The first phase of construction was completed last year, while the second phase is expected to be finished in August and begin operations by November. Once fully operational, the center will handle over 1,000 tonnes of aquatic products annually.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan’s annual tilapia production is about 60,000 tonnes, with exports accounting for 31.4% of production in 2023. The ministry added that Taiwan exported 13,257 tonnes of tilapia to the US last year, with an export value of NT$1.44 billion (US$45 million). Taiwan’s biggest competitor in the US tilapia market is China.
News Courtesy : Taiwannews