Ambassador Chou Chung-hsing, Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Myanmar visited Known-You Seed Co., Ltd. Bago Research Farm on January 28, 2024, where the company was conducting its seasonal watermelon selection. The yield, appearance, skin thickness, sweetness, etc. need to be recorded and scored one by one. Under the big tent, there were batches after batches of watermelons, large and small, with dark green skin or striped skin, red flesh or yellow flesh, being labeled and lined up neatly, creating quite a spectacular scene.
As a market leader, Known-You Seed Company sells its seeds to more than 170 countries, accounting for about 80% of the world's countries. It is a pioneer in developing the markets of Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy target countriesand has successively established branch companies in various Southeast Asian countries. Taking Myanmar as an example, now up to 90% of Myanmar’s watermelons are Taiwanese (Known-You) varieties.
In order to maintain its competitive edge, Known-You Seed Company not only develops new varieties of fruits and vegetables on its own, but also collaborates with Taiwan's agricultural research institutes and extension stations and European and American laboratories in the application of biotechnology and genetic engineering. So far, more than 2,500 varieties of fruits and vegetables have been developed, including more than 300 varieties of watermelons. According to General Manager Kuo Kun Shih of Known-You Seed Myanmar Company, this company collects seeds in Myanmar and produces first-generation F1 hybrid seeds, but does not sell them locally right away. Instead, they are shipped back to the Taiwan headquarters for complete quality control testing, then they can be sold if they meet the headquarters standards.
Kuo, in his presentation, also pointed out that in addition to providing high-quality core products (seeds), his company also provides technical guidance, consumer market development and some other peripheral services. In 1997, the company cooperated with Myanmar’s Ministry of Agriculture to establish a farmers’ training center in the suburbs of Yangon, offering two four-month programs per year. The courses aimed to combine theory with practice, from land preparation, sowing, fertilizing, germination, pest control to retention, teaching a complete set of melon and fruit cultivation techniques. After having completed that project, Known-You built a "research farm" on its own, for research and training purposes. The research farm was completed and began operation in 2019, continuing to conduct farmers training independently. So far, more than a thousand people have completed the training by Known-You.
Ambassador Chou praised Known-you Company. “Known-You Myanmar Company not only offers high-quality vegetable and fruit seeds, but also invests in farmers training to improve their technical level, and even helps farmers to export their products to earn foreign exchange. It’s fair to say that Known-You has made outstanding contributions to Myanmar's agricultural development. In addition, the company’s charity foundation has provided full funding to establish a farmers' hospital in Ayeyarwady Region, to provide medical services to the most vulnerable farmers of that area. It is truly an excellent example of public diplomacy by a Taiwanese company," said Ambassador Chou.
