Garlic prices have almost tripled compared with the same period last year as global prices soared because of a shortage in China, the Council of Agriculture said yesterday.
Although imports only account for about 8 percent of the nation’s garlic supply, local farmers have also raised prices in line with the global trend, Agriculture and Food Agency Secretary-General Hsu Han-ching (許漢卿) said.
Soaring global garlic prices were mostly due to lower supplies from China — the world’s largest garlic producer — because of recent bad weather, Hsu said.
“Although the main source of our garlic imports is Argentina, not China, and [imports] accounted for only about 8 percent of the entire garlic supply in Taiwan, local garlic prices still rocketed to about NT$100 [US$3.10] per kilogram this week,” Hsu said.
Garlic was selling at NT$81 per kilogram early this month and NT$30 in the same period last year, Hsu said, adding that the council would closely monitor its price movement.
Garlic import prices were quoted at US$1,850 to US$2,000 per tonne recently, before a NT$27 per kilogram tax is imposed, bringing the cost of imported garlic to NT$90 to NT$95 per kilogram, Hsu said.
Hsu said domestic garlic production, affected by hot weather and rains, was estimated to reach 45,619 tonnes this year — down 8 percent from last year.
The smaller local crop will be supplemented by imports as agreed under the WTO. Argentine garlic usually arrives in Taiwan between October and December.
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first
RSS