The Taiwan Swine Association yesterday expressed strong opposition to the government’s announcement earlier in the day that it is to ease standards for ractopamine residue in imported pork from the US.
Allowing imports of meat products containing the controversial feed additive — which is prohibited in pig feed in Taiwan — would result in major repercussions for local pig farmers, as the production cost of pork in the US is only NT$35 to NT$40 per kilogram, compared with NT$60 to NT$65 per kilogram in Taiwan, association secretary-general Chang Sheng-chin (張生金) said. Even with transportation and other operational costs included, US pork will still be much cheaper, he added.
Association members are disappointed that they learned about the government’s decision “after watching the news,” as President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration did not communicate with the industry beforehand, Chang said, adding that the government would pursue profits for the technology and trade sectors at the expense of pig farmers, who have supported the Tsai in past elections.
Photo: CNA
If the government insists on the US imports, it should at least require pork products to be labeled with information on their origin, he said, adding that the association “does not rule out holding protests.”
The ratio between domestically-produced and imported pork in Taiwan is about nine to one, he said.
Yunlin County firmly opposes the decision and hopes the Tsai administration reconsiders it, Yunlin County Commissioner Chang Li-shan (張麗善) said.
Statistics show that Taiwan has over 5.5 million pigs, with Yunlin leading the nation with 1.56 million animals, owned by 1,190 farmers, who generate an annual value of approximately NT$32 billion (US$ 108.4 million), amounting to 43 percent of the total value of the county’s agricultural sector.
On other hand, Kuo Hsin-fa (郭新發), director-general of the association’s Pingtung County branch — another region with high production of pork — said that allowing imports of US pork containing ractopamine is unlikely to affect the local farming industry.
Taiwan has been declared free of foot-and-mouth disease, and Taiwanese pork can be exported, Kuo said, adding that the government should implement stricter pork-labeling rules to better inform the customers.
Allowing the US pork imports would not just damage the local industry, but also pose a danger to the health of Taiwanese, Consumers’ Foundation general-secretary Chen Chih-yi (陳智義) said.
“So does it mean that Taiwanese pig farmers are also allowed to use ractopamine now?” Chen added.
According to the Council of Agriculture, Taiwan still does not permit the use of ractopamine in local pig feed.
Additional reporting by Chien Hui-ju, Huang Shu-li, and Chiu Chih-jou
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