Tainan is the largest milkfish producing area in Taiwan and the City Government actively develops different channels to help the producers sell their products. Recently, under the joint efforts of the government, business owners, and traders, the industry successfully established a new marketing channel in the US. Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che visited Syan Jwan Company on Oct. 20 to witness the loading and departure of 21 tons of milkfish products. The shipment is expected to reach the States in early December and the products will be available at local major supermarkets.
Mayor Huang Wei-che expressed that he is delighted to announce that Tainan City's fish product export has made major progress and finally entered the US market, which has a high threshold. He thanked Syan Jwan Company for their efforts in establishing this new channel and figuring out a way to overcome the dining differences between the West and the East: the company processed the milkfish into milkfish belly fillets and other boneless products so that American consumers would be more willing to try the fish. Huang hopes that Tainan can expand its international milkfish market and let more countries around the world taste and enjoy the delicious fish.
Syan Jwan Company Chairperson Wu Su-wen said that this milkfish product shipment is unlike previous international orders of frozen whole fish (that have lesser value). For this order, the milkfish are processed into quality products such as milkfish belly fillets. This changed the international market's impression of milkfish and increased the export value by many folds.
Tainan has the largest milkfish cultivation area and highest production volume and value in Taiwan. In every two milkfishes eaten by the Taiwanese public, one of them comes from Tainan. September to November is milkfish season and 20% of the total production volume is exported. Main export markets include the US and countries in the Middle East and Arabian Peninsula (75%).