Politicization of eggs
The price and availability of eggs have once again become a hot topic. With presidential and legislative elections next year, the question of eggs — which would normally belong in the economic sphere — has become a political issue.
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) would not normally care about the price of eggs or take aim at the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), nor would opposition parties be asking whether the DPP can do anything about missiles if it cannot even take care of eggs.
Some media outlets that favor the pan-blue camp have been making a big fuss about the issue, claiming that there are no eggs for sale and none to eat, but is that really so?
At about midday on Thursday last week, I went to an A-Mart near my home, where there were still eggs on sale, although the price of one carton had gone up to NT$70. I proceeded to a grocery store at Jingmei Market, where a few days previously the wholesale price for 1 jin (600g) of white eggs was NT$52 and the retail price was NT$56, but on Thursday the retail price had risen to NT$65.
At a little after 4pm on the same day, I went to a nearby Pxmart, where eggs were still on sale, but the price was quite a lot higher at NT$90 per carton.
When reporting on the egg situation, the media should not only listen to people who have not been able to buy eggs. If they interview people in the afternoon, it is more likely that eggs would be sold out. A few cases do not mean that there are no eggs on sale anywhere, but the media’s over-the-top reporting might make people anxious, so those who would normally buy one carton at a time would buy several.
When there is such high demand without increased supply, of course the retail price would go up, with store owners making more profit while consumers lose out.
With the wholesale price at NT$52 per jin, the retail price of NT$56 was quite reasonable. With the market price rising to NT$65 or more, of course it is causing resentment.
It would be a good idea for the Council of Agriculture to hold a news conference at a suitable time and give a sincere account of the following questions:
First, what is the true situation of the supply of eggs?
Second, why has the retail price of eggs risen to a new high of NT$56?
Third, how do egg prices in Taiwan compare with other places, such as the US, Japan, Europe and Singapore?
Answers to these questions might assure consumers that the retail price of eggs in Taiwan has not gone up to an unreasonable extent.
The ruling party cannot just disregard the politicization of egg prices. It must communicate effectively with the public; otherwise, it risks facing renewed accusations of being clueless.
Chiu Ping-chin
Taipei
President William Lai (賴清德) attended a dinner held by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) when representatives from the group visited Taiwan in October. In a speech at the event, Lai highlighted similarities in the geopolitical challenges faced by Israel and Taiwan, saying that the two countries “stand on the front line against authoritarianism.” Lai noted how Taiwan had “immediately condemned” the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas and had provided humanitarian aid. Lai was heavily criticized from some quarters for standing with AIPAC and Israel. On Nov. 4, the Taipei Times published an opinion article (“Speak out on the
More than a week after Hondurans voted, the country still does not know who will be its next president. The Honduran National Electoral Council has not declared a winner, and the transmission of results has experienced repeated malfunctions that interrupted updates for almost 24 hours at times. The delay has become the second-longest post-electoral silence since the election of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez of the National Party in 2017, which was tainted by accusations of fraud. Once again, this has raised concerns among observers, civil society groups and the international community. The preliminary results remain close, but both
News about expanding security cooperation between Israel and Taiwan, including the visits of Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) in September and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) this month, as well as growing ties in areas such as missile defense and cybersecurity, should not be viewed as isolated events. The emphasis on missile defense, including Taiwan’s newly introduced T-Dome project, is simply the most visible sign of a deeper trend that has been taking shape quietly over the past two to three years. Taipei is seeking to expand security and defense cooperation with Israel, something officials
The Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation has demanded an apology from China Central Television (CCTV), accusing the Chinese state broadcaster of using “deceptive editing” and distorting the intent of a recent documentary on “comfort women.” According to the foundation, the Ama Museum in Taipei granted CCTV limited permission to film on the condition that the footage be used solely for public education. Yet when the documentary aired, the museum was reportedly presented alongside commentary condemning Taiwan’s alleged “warmongering” and criticizing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government’s stance toward Japan. Instead of focusing on women’s rights or historical memory, the program appeared crafted
RSS