The government plans to spend NT$12.6 billion (US$423.64 million) in the next two years to build a cold chain system for agricultural, fishery and animal husbandry products, Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) said on Sunday.
The announcement came after China on Friday suspended grouper fish imports from Taiwan, which took effect yesterday, for allegedly containing banned chemicals and excessive levels of oxytetracycline.
The budget for the system, which was approved by the Executive Yuan earlier this year, would first be spent on establishing a cold chain system for processed fishery products, Chen said on Facebook.
Photo: Taipei Times
The announcement was made online as Chen is in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 last week.
The government has allocated NT$600 million to build regional cold chain logistics facilities in Kaohsiung’s Shingda Fishing Port and Pingtung County’s Yenpu Fishing Port, he said, adding that there are plans for another center in Tainan.
“A government-run cold chain system will ensure that Taiwan stays competitive in fishery products, as it would facilitate the export of fishery products to other countries, and ensure better coordination of production and marketing of the products,” he said.
Meanwhile, the council also plans to assist retail markets and private businesses to upgrade their refrigeration systems as well, he said.
Taiwan offers a wide variety of seafood and other fishery products given its excellent distant-water fishing industry and advanced fish farming technology, but it must upgrade processing and cold chain technology to make it offerings more easily available to consumers at home and abroad, Chen said.
“Fishery products should be stored in cold chain facilities after they are caught, bred, inspected and cleaned. Commercial sale should be planned to ensure stable revenue for fishers,” he said.
“We also encourage fishers and fishing associations to establish brands for their products,” he said.
China contravened international trade regulations by using unscientific measures to ban grouper imports from Taiwan, but the nation should turn the crisis into an opportunity to expand grouper exports to the US, New Zealand, Japan and other markets, Chen said.
Aside from Taiwanese groupers, Beijing has since last year stopped importing Taiwanese pineapples, custard apples and wax apples, citing concerns about pests.
Beijing’s ban on the high-value fish was widely interpreted as politically motivated amid deteriorating cross-strait relations.
The export value of Taiwanese groupers last year topped nearly US$60 million, of which US$55 million came from exports to China.
Grouper exports to China this year have already reached a record-high 93.31 percent, up from 91.76 percent last year.
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