Taiwan's agricultural exports have grown substantially this year thanks to the global economic recovery, the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture (COA) said Thursday. As of the end of November, exports of Taiwan-grown agricultural and aquacultural products had amounted to US$3.626 billion, up 23.6 percent from the year-earlier level, the council said in a statement. Five items -- eels, dancing lady orchids, butterfly orchids, grouper and green soybeans -- posted the largest year-on-year growth rates at 105 percent, 95 percent, 33 percent, 25 percent and 12 percent, respectively, according to COA statistics. A COA official said local eel farmers have enjoyed thriving business and extra profit margins this year because of poor elver catches in Japan, South Korea, China and major Southeast Asian countries earlier this year. Increases in grouper exports, meanwhile, can be attributed to the opening of direct shipping links across the Taiwan Strait, a measure that has allowed local aquaculturists to ship live fish to China efficiently and quickly, the official said. In addition, the May 1-Oct. 31 Shanghai World Expo also contributed greatly to growth in grouper exports to China, as the event helped promote the image of Taiwan-raised grouper, the official added. 