The Taiwanese government aims to have Taiwanese-grown fruit take 20 per cent of the one-sixth domestic market share that imported fruit currently enjoys, within the next three years, said the cabinet-level Council of Agriculture (COA) Friday.

Su Jia-chyuan, the COA Minister, declared the goal at a news conference to launch a campaign promoting homegrown fruits in the domestic market.

Annual fruit consumption in Taiwan creates a market worth around NT$70 billion, and it's a pity that imported fruit holds one-sixth of the market, he said.

As Taiwanese fruit enjoys the advantages of high quality and a good reputation, it should therefore be able to recapture some of the market share now held by foreign products.

The COA is assisting local governments of 15 major fruit-yielding counties to set up a platform to promote the county's specialties and facilitate direct orders from around the country, including online orders, officials said.

They said the COA will also cooperate with farmers' associations and retail businesses to set up sections to specially feature homegrown fruits in some 40 supermarkets country-wide, saying the strategy is to highlight native products, attract consumers' attention, and significantly boost purchases in the run-up to the Lunar New Year, a period that traditionally brings a high demand for agricultural goods.

Su said Taiwanese fruits have faced fierce competition from abroad since the country joined the Word Trade Organization, and the COA is making significant efforts to persuade domestic consumers to buy local when shopping.