Representatives of the pig farming industry reiterated their opposition to imports of US pork containing traces of the leanness-enhancing agent ractopamine, and threatened to stage a large protest if the government lifts a ban on imports of pork containing the drug.
Swine Association secretary-general Chang Sheng-chin (張生金) said the group has been consistent in its objections to any imports of pork containing traces of ractopamine.
Canada, Denmark and the US are the top three pork exporters to Taiwan, he said.
Canada and the US sell pork with and without traces of the additive, and the two countries should continue to only export ractopamine-free pork to Taiwan, he said.
If the government decides to lift the ban on imports of pork containing traces of the additive, pig farmers would stage a large-scale protest, he said.
The issue of imports of US pork surfaced again after Council of Agriculture minister-designate Tsao Chi-hung (曹啟鴻) said in a media interview on Thursday that Taiwan cannot shut its doors to US pork containing ractopamine forever, as the council does not have the power to thwart globalization.
Japan and South Korea allow imports of US pork containing ractopamine, and as an export-oriented country, Taiwan “cannot afford” not to open its doors, Tsao was quoted as saying in a report in the Chinese-language United Daily News, published on Friday.
Tsao on Friday reiterated that his ministry and the Ministry of Health and Welfare would have to conduct a risk assessment regarding imports of US pork containing ractopamine.
However, the issue would be a matter for the whole Cabinet to decide and not just his ministry, he said.
The US has hinted that Taiwan accepting US pork containing ractopamine is a precondition for further bilateral talks on trade liberalization and for Taiwan’s inclusion in the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
A member of an alliance of young pig farmers, Kuo Chia-yu (郭嘉育), also voiced opposition to imports of pork containing ractopamine, saying it was an issue of national food safety.
Kuo urged the government to take action to help upgrade and transform the nation’s pig farming industry in an effort to expand exports of Taiwanese pork.
He also called on the government to push for the use of biogas for electricity generation, adding that this could be done by using pig manure slurry from local farms, he said.
His suggestions echoed proposals made by Tsao for a “greener” pig farming industry.
Cabinet spokesperson-designate Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) on Friday reiterated president-elect Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) stance on dealing with imports of US pork, saying the incoming government’s priorities are ensuring food safety and mitigating impacts on the local pork industry.
The new Cabinet would act in alignment with international norms regarding quarantine for agricultural products and would establish a communication system before it deals with the issue during discussions on joining the TPP, Tung said.
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