The Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture (COA) is resolved to help boost sales of Taiwan fruit both at home and abroad, Council of Agriculture (COA) Chairman Su Jia-chyuan announced Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference held to explain the COA's achievements last year and its outlook for the coming year, Su said the council has ironed out a series of action guidelines and promotional incentives to boost sales.

According to Su, the COA will help local farmers grow high quality fruit and raise public interest in consuming locally produced fresh and safe produce.

The COA is planning to set up a platform upon which local consumers can purchase fine quality products, he said, adding that it will also cooperate with retail stores to increase sales by sponsoring an activity to select the "top 10 most popular fruit in Taiwan" in the hope of getting the public to consume more locally cultivated goods, Su said.

It will also take steps to fuel exports of Taiwan fruit to foreign markets in 2007, setting a 20 percent export growth target for the coming three years through 2009, he said.

The COA's new promotional action guidelines will focus on stepping up sales of locally produced fruit in the domestic market, increasing sales around the world, strengthening quality control by local farmers, establishing a reliable export network and building a high-end image for Taiwan produced agricultural and farm goods, he said.

Taiwan's agricultural production value hit around NT$380.3 billion (US$11.52 billion) last year, up by 8 percent over the previous level prior to the country entering the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2002, the COA head reported.

He attributed the local sector's growth to efforts by the government and farmers, which exploded the myth that the local agricultural sector would crumble after WTO entry.

From June this year, the COA is slated to kick off a profile system for locally grown agricultural and farm produce at chain stores and hypermarkets, Su said, adding that the council hopes to impose the measure on such establishments nationwide by the end of next year to provide the public with secure and safe products.

A total of 125 fishery, agricultural and farm products are slated to be listed on the COA's TGAP (traceable good agricultural practice) program by the end of this year in the initial stage, he said.

Both local and foreign organic agricultural and farm products are expected to be included in the system within two years to guarantee food safety for the public, he said.