Yilan's Strictly Selected Safe Bulk Agriculture: Friendly Distributors Are Key
The Yilan Department of Agriculture yesterday launched the "Yilan Strict Selection" agricultural brand, guided and supported by the county government with pesticide spot checks, promoted as free of pesticide residue. The first wave of 12,000 kg of cabbage (highland cabbage) sold out within 6 days of pre-orders, successfully firing the first shot; however, because cabbage is a fresh vegetable and difficult to store, many large food-service operators this time were limited by storage capacity and farmers' output, and could only purchase one day's worth, highlighting the importance of the government timely fostering "friendly wholesalers" while cultivating environmentally friendly farmers and safe agriculture.
Nanshan Vegetable Cooperative member Gao Jiawen (left) and Yilan Department of Agriculture Director Yang Wenquan (right)
Wholesalers are not bad, they are just not transparent enough
Many people frown as soon as they hear "wholesaler," and even equate them with the "vegetable bugs" who drive up vegetable prices. However, Xie Shengyou, founder of "Hao Shi Ji," who actively studies Taiwan's marketing system, believes wholesalers have their own expertise, including transportation, warehousing, and sorting. "Wholesalers are not bad, it is the traditional production and marketing system that is not transparent." Other links in the production and marketing chain may also have vegetable bugs, but consumers do not know the marketing process or the cost levels, and assume it is all the wholesalers' fault.
Xie Shengyou is currently actively working with friends, hoping to foster "friendly wholesalers," make production and marketing information transparent, and publish purchase prices, intermediate marketing costs, final-stage selling prices, and so on.
He suggests that the Yilan County Government first think clearly about its target consumers. If selling to food-service businesses and large channels, it is impossible to use Black Cat home delivery; there must be transport vehicles and warehousing. One method is to find friendly wholesalers; another method is for farmers to put in extra labor. For example, stripping the outer leaves of cabbage used to be the wholesaler's job, but in the future farmers may strip the outer leaves before shipping, or restaurants may spend extra time stripping leaves after receiving the goods. "No matter how it is sold, someone has to take on the wholesaler's work."
Yang Wenquan admitted that they are still thinking about who should bear the responsibility of the intermediate wholesaler, and it is unlikely the county government will step in to do it. He hopes that first, through this cabbage sale, private operators willing to invest will see the business opportunity. Everything is still in the early exploratory stage, and he hopes more people will offer suggestions to make the production and marketing system more complete.