The Chinese mainland has decided to buy 300 tons Taiwan bananas that have been selling sluggishly as an effort to ease the situation.

 

The Beijing Fruit Co. Ltd, Shanghai Fruit Co. Ltd and Chaoda Modern Agriculture Ltd. under the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives signed an agreement on Saturday with Taiwan Provincial Farmers Association and the Taiwan Provincial Fruit Marketing Cooperative to buy a first batch of 300 ton bananas from Taiwan.

 

The move came after Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of State Council, made a promise on Thursday that the mainland will buy more bananas from Taiwan.

 

Chen saw off Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) Honorary Chairman Lien Chan at the airport of Xiamen in East China's Fujian Province on Thursday, who was there for a trade fair showcasing progress in cross-Straits agricultural cooperation.

 

Lien learned that the bananas from Taiwan had suffered sluggish sales. Farmers in Taiwan were worried about an over-abundant harvest this year and hoped the CPC and KMT would work through their platform to solve the problem.

 

Early in June, the Chinese mainland bought 200 tons surplus bananas from Taiwan and received applause from Taiwan farmers.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 22, 2006)