Livestock and poultry farmers from across the country will stage a protest on March 3 in Taipei against easing restrictions on imports of beef with ractopamine residue from the US, one of the organizers confirmed yesterday.
“More than 10,000 pig, cattle and chicken farmers and workers will join the protest,” said Yang Guan-chang (楊冠章), director of the Republic of China Swine Association.
The protesters will first march to the Legislative Yuan, then to the Council of Agriculture and the Department of Health to voice their opposition to any government attempt to relax its zero-tolerance policy on ractopamine in US beef, Yang said.
Photo: Liao Shu-ling, Taipei Times
The date of the protest was finalized at a meeting of livestock industry stakeholders and food safety groups in Greater Taichung earlier in the day, Yang said. The groups included the Homemakers’ Union and Foundation and the Taiwan Consumers’ Foundation, he added.
The protest was planned amid rumors that the government might bow to US pressure and allow imports of US beef that contain regulated amounts of the feed additive ractopamine, while maintaining its total ban on the use of the drug by local farmers.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡) said yesterday he will submit a legislative proposal for a national referendum on whether to set permissible levels of ractopamine in US beef.
Wu said he will seek the legislature’s approval to petition the Central Election Commission to start the referendum process.
He said that, as a number of domestic experts have warned that opening the market to residue-laden beef would pose health risks, the government should not rush to any decision.
“If the government really wants people to accept US beef containing ractopamine, it should allow the people to have the final say,” Wu said.
However, People First Party caucus whip Thomas Lee (李桐豪) expressed concern that if the referendum failed, it could be used as a tool to open the nation’s doors fully to US beef imports.
Lee said the problem could be resolved by revising legislation, an option that he said would also take the pressure off the government.
The use of ractopamine in livestock farming is allowed in more than 20 countries around the world, besdies the US, but is banned in the EU, China and Taiwan.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS