Exports, domestic consumption grow by double digits in Taiwan.

Imports advance at breakneck pace, to fuel 40% increase in overall QFF market.

Frozen food production, exports, imports and domestic consumption in Taiwan all grew at a feverish pace in 1994, according to the Chinese Frozen Food Institute (CFFI). Per capita consumption reached 14.25 kilograms.

Domestic consumption was 287,762 tons, up 28% from the 224,840 reported last year for 1993. But prepared foods output for 1993, according to the CFFI, was actually 63,602 tons instead of the 82,577 reported previously. That reduces total domestic production for 1993 from 109,829 to 90,853 tons, and total 1993 consumption to 205,864 tons, making for a 1994 increase of 39.8%.

Other highlights of the CFFI's report for 1994:

* Exports increased 17.6% in volume, to 572,439 tons; and 17.4% in value, to US$2.033 billion.

* Imports grew even faster, 45.6% to 167,485 tons in volume and 36.3% to US$416.5 million in value.

* Production for domestic consumption was up 32.3% to 120,277 tons in volume and NT$8.670 billion.

* Dumplings accounted for nearly 40% of domestic output in 1994, at 31,556 tons, with volume up 13.4% from 1993.

'Golden' Nuggets 

Western tastes are evidently catching on: domestic production/consumption of fried chicken nuggets was up 68.2% to 7,858 tons. Battered products, presumably seafood-based, shot up 230.2% to 4,827 tons. And while frozen pizza remains a tiny category, it was up 78.8% to 414 tons. Tonnage for traditional Chinese buns, by contrast, was off 0.5% to 13,498.

Fish and seafood exports, which had plummeted a few years ago after the collapse of Taiwan's shrimp farming industry but recovered strongly in 1993, showed further growth in 1994. At 359,660 tons, volume was up 19.6%.

Finfish were responsible for almost all the gain, advancing 25.6% to 309,161 tons. Eels, traditionally a strong performer, suffered a sharp setback, with tonnage off 41.3% to 14,070. Molluscs and crabs were up a respectable 23.2% to 31,880 tons; but shrimp continued to decline, off 26.5% to 5,774.

Pork accounted for nearly all the volume - 158,945 out of 166,157 tons - and nearly all the increase in meat and poultry exports. The increase was 27.6% for pork alone and 27.5% for the segment as a whole. Miscellaneous fowl showed the fastest increase, however, from a mere 95 tons to 1,145. Duck exports were up a bit, from 5,141 to 5,400 tons; likewise sheep, from 576 to 667.

Frozen vegetable exports declined from 54,996 to 45,450 tons, possibly because of competition from [TABULAR DATA OMITTED] mainland China, which is taking an increasing share of the Japanese market. CFFI figures break out a few additional categories, although their impact is relatively minor: shrimp includes a mere four tons of prepared shrimp, for example; molluscs/crabs 258 tons of crabs, 21 tons of prepared crabs and 24 tons of prepared molluscs.

Taiwan: Frozen Food Consumption in Tons

Category                  Production(*)   Imports   Consumption

Fish and Seafood              1,940        68,677        70,617
Meat and Poultry             23,991        72,255        96,246
Vegetables and Fruits        14,191        26,553        40,744
Prepared Foods               79,008           -             -
Dough Products                1,147           -             -

Total                       120,277       167,485       287,762

Source: Chinese Frozen Institute:
* Production for Domestic consumption

Vegetable Imports Soar

On the import side, the fastest growing category was vegetables, with tonnage leaping more than five-fold from 4,521 to 26,086. With domestic production for 1994 nearly double that for 1993, frozen vegetable consumption in Taiwan tripled over the year. Frozen fish and seafood imports, at 68,677 tons, were also up sharply, with both shrimp and finfish registering gains; as were meat and poultry imports at 72,255,with beef and sheep sharing the increase.