Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday reassured consumers that there would be a stable supply of food and floral products prior to the Lunar New Year holidays and promised to look into price differences at local markets if commodity prices became too high.
Hau yesterday visited Binjiang Market on Binjiang Street, which is well-known for quality seafood and fruits, to obtain a better understanding of supplies and food prices before the Lunar New Year holidays that begin on Wednesday.
Greeting shoppers who crowded the market to purchase food during the last weekend before the holidays, Hau said the number of shoppers in Binjiang and other major markets increased by 20 percent to 30 percent this year, which is a result of the reviving economy.
Photo: CNA
Retail prices for foodstuffs such as white pomfret, a fish that is one of the traditional foods that symbolizes good fortune and prosperity and is a must-have item for many families over the Lunar New Year, soared to about three to four times the wholesale price.
Hau said Taipei City’s consumer protection officers have launched an inspection into the price and hygiene conditions of New Year products and will look into the cost if any products are found to be overpriced.
Taipei Fishery Marketing Corp and Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corp said they will ensure a steady supply of food and floral products until Wednesday, offering at least 11,000 tonnes of vegetables, 5,000 tonnes of fruit and 700 tonnes of fish, as well as a good supply of poultry.
The city’s major markets and shopping streets will be open until Tuesday. These include Bin-jiang Market, Dihua Street — which is one of the oldest and most traditional shopping hubs selling Chinese medicine, dried foodstuffs and processed goods — Huayin Street behind Taipei Main Station, Ningxia Night Market and Taipei City Underground Shopping Center underneath Civic Boulevard.
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