During his visit to Japan, US President Barrack Obama attracted international attention by bringing up the issue of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
Japan is unwilling to lower import tariffs on five kinds of agricultural products and the two sides are continuing talks.
According to the media in this nation, some experts believe that if Taiwan does not deregulate imports of pork containing ractopamine, Taiwan will have a long way to go before it can join the TPP and it now has to make a choice. Ministry of Economic Affairs officials also said that the agricultural issue was the main obstacle to entry to TPP membership.
Official data shows that TPP membership will cause agricultural losses of NT$59 billion (US$11.94 billion) and put 16,000 farmers out of work, with the hog and chicken industries being the hardest hit.
Since the government feels that this is unavoidable, farmers want to know why the government has not proposed any concrete measures designed to protect the rights and interests of farmers.
Instead it is waiting until the last minute before demanding that farmers acknowledge the bigger picture and make concessions, thus forcing them to take to the streets, causing further upheaval to Taiwanese society.
The number of hog farmers and the number of hogs in the nation have shrunk dramatically in recent years and there have also been changes in farming methods.
Supply is insufficient to meet the domestic demand of 10 million tonnes, but although more than 30,000 tonnes are imported, mainly from the US, Canada and the Netherlands, domestically produced fresh pork remains the preference of consumers.
The competent authorities should first assess the impact of lowering import tariffs and allowing imports of US pork containing ractopamine. They should commission agricultural economists to make estimates based on economic models.
However, since the data provided by the models is restricted and can only be used for reference purposes, the authorities should also ask academics, experts and farmers’ organizations to analyze the data and then engage in two-way discussions with farmers’ representatives. Farmers’ opinions should then be compiled and used as the main foundation for strategic talks in order to minimize harm.
Considering the impact of cuts on import tariffs — tariffs are currently at 12.5 percent and the lower cost of pork production in the US — the production cost in Taiwan is 1.8 times more than in the US — the government should, in addition to asking for an extension of the deadline for cutting tariffs and adopting quota restrictions in order to avoid dumping by the US, draw up plans alleviating the plight of hog farmers suffering from the deteriorating industry environment that has been the result of operative inefficiencies.
For farmers who want to stay in the industry, the government should implement volume controls and provide strong guidance in order to raise operative efficiency by helping them improve breeding, feed recipes, feed and management techniques, disease prevention and the production environment and lower the disease incidence while decreasing the use of drugs and antibiotics.
This would make domestic pork far healthier and safer than imported US pork. It should also implement a domestic certification system so that consumers can differentiate between different kinds of pork and let quality and safety win out.
The untreated waste water, waste products and noxious smells that are released into the air and rivers from hog farms have resulted in severe river pollution and the impact on the environment has been criticized by nearby residents.
The government should learn from the successes in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Germany and invite experts to help initiate modern biogas power generation in order to increase the quality of hog farming and improve the rural environment and the economic situation.
Taiwan needs to join regional trade blocs in order to develop its foreign trade, but the government cannot only play on economic fears.
The government must take care of the industries that would be hurt rather than just let them perish. The fact that the government has not learned from the service trade agreement debacle and simply continues in its old ways, focusing on propaganda and ignoring communication, is worrying.
Seeing China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Deputy Chairman Zheng Lizhong (鄭立中) entering Taiwan’s farming villages and earnestly showing his deep understanding should make Taiwan’s agricultural officials feel ashamed of themselves.
Du Yu is chief executive officer of the Chen-Li Task Force for Agricultural Reform.
Translated by Perry Svensson
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