Taiwan: Green jujubes from Kaohsiung to go on sale in France

Taipei, Feb. 22 (CNA) Green jujubes grown in Kaohsiung are scheduled to hit shelves of supermarkets in France Wednesday as part of the city's efforts to introduce the fruit to consumers in Europe, the Agriculture Bureau of the Kaohsiung City Government said Tuesday. Kaohsiung green jujubes are already sold in Japan, Hong Kong, Palau, Singapore, and Malaysia, according to the bureau. The city is the largest green jujube producer in Taiwan with a growing area of 750 hectares, which makes up more than 40 percent of the country's total. Farms growing the fruit are mainly scattered in A-lian, Yanchao, Dashe, Tianliao and Gangshan districts, according to bureau. The annual production value of Kaohsiung green jujubes totaled NT$1 billion (US$35.97 million), the bureau said, adding that it had intensified its efforts to boost visibility in the global market after exporting 960,000 tons of the fruit last year. Kaohsiung is selling batches of the Tainung No. 13 green jujube -- also known as ...