1.Executive Yuan Inspects Pingtung's Grouper Farm

Due to concerns about ciguatera poisoning, grouper exports to Japan were suspended in the past. After eight years of efforts by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Fisheries Agency, grouper exports to Japan were successfully resumed in October 2024. To understand the current status of the grouper industry, Premier Cho Jung Tai, accompanied by Minister of Agriculture Chen Junji and Director-General of the Fisheries Agency Wang Maocheng, visited the Zai Xing Aquaculture Farm in Pingtung on March 1. At the site, Premier Su listened to a briefing by the Ministry of Agriculture on the status of grouper exports, and also, under the guidance of farm manager Hong Jiaqi, inspected the fish pond environment and personally experienced feeding the groupers.

2. 2025 Alishan Cherry Blossom Festival begins March 10

Chiayi County's annual Alishan Cherry Blossom Festival begins on March 10, with peak bloom expected in mid-to-late March, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said. Taiwan and Okame varieties of cherry blossom trees are already about 50 percent in bloom, according to a joint press conference held by the MOA's Chiayi Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency and the Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office.