Premier Frank Hsieh (
"I would say that it is not a bad thing for our fruit to enter China's market. However, the government has to have the dominant role so that our farmers' rights can be protected," Hsieh said yesterday afternoon before attending the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) weekly Central Standing Committee meeting.
Hsieh said farmers participating in the coordination project for cross-strait agricultural techniques underway in Fujian Province should be careful not to leak Taiwanese agricultural know-how when they are in contact with Chinese farmers.
"As long as the government plays a dominant role in the fruit exports, our farmers will have a backup if any disputes arise or technique leaks occur in China," Hsieh said.
Meanwhile, during yesterday's committee meeting, Cabinet Secretary-General Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) reported that for nine straight days a local TV talk show had promoted fruit exports to China and touted the profits to be made.
The show has misled both the public and farmers, he said.
The Cabinet will call on the related departments to meet to discuss how to counter such misleading information, Lee said.
"President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has publicly pointed out several times that fruit exports to China are part of China's unification war and reminded farmers and lawmakers not to fall into China's trap," DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said.
"Regrettably, some political talk shows are still trying hard to tout the profitability [of such exports] to Taiwan's farmers' associations, giving audiences biased information," he said.
Su said that it is important to get farmers to understand the government's agricultural policies and secure the wholesale status of their produce.
DPP Secretary-General Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) suggested that the Cabinet prepare brochures explaining the government's agricultural policies to send to farmers' associations to inform them of the government's direction.
A free exhibition aimed at teaching the public about air-raid shelters and basic emergency personal protection skills today opened on the concourse level of the Taipei MRT's Ximen Station. The event, organized by the National Police Agency, aims to raise awareness about disaster preparedness ahead of nationwide air raid drills scheduled from July 15 to 18, which are part of broader urban resilience exercises. The exhibition outlines the recommended actions people should take depending on whether they are indoors, commuting or outdoors when air-raid sirens sound. It also teaches people how to equip air-raid shelters and pack emergency "go bags," with displays
A first shipment of five tons of Taiwan tilapia was sent from Tainan to Singapore on Wednesday, following an order valued at NT$600,000 (US$20,500) placed with a company in the city. The products, including frozen whole fish and pre- cooked fish belly, were dispatched from Jiangjun Fishing Harbor, where a new aquatic processing and logistics center is under construction. At the launch, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) called the move a “breakthrough,” marking Taiwan’s expansion into the Singaporean tilapia market. Taiwan’s tilapia exports have traditionally focused on the United States, Canada, and the Middle East, Huang said, adding that the new foothold in
An electric bus charging facility at Taipei Metro’s Beitou Depot officially opened yesterday with 22 charging bays to serve the city’s 886 electric buses. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) told a ceremony to mark the opening of the facility that the city aims to fully electrify its bus fleet by 2030. The number of electric buses has grown from about 650 last year to 886 this year and is expected to surpass 1,000 by the end of the year, Chiang said. Setting up the charging station in a metro depot optimizes land and energy use, as the metro uses power mainly during the
An exhibition demonstrating the rejuvenation of the indigenous Kuskus Village in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹) opened at the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s conservation station in Taipei on Thursday. Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said they have been promoting the use and development of forestry resources to local indigenous residents for eight years to drive regional revitalization. While modern conservation approaches mostly stem from western scientific research, eco-friendly knowledge and skills passed down through generations of indigenous people, who have lived in Taiwan for centuries, could be more suitable for the environment, he said. The agency’s Pingtung branch Director-General Yang Jui-fen (楊瑞芬)
RSS