AGRICULTURE
‘Snow rabbit’ fruit touted
Strawberry farms in Miaoli County’s Dahu Township (大湖) have successfully cultivated the Japanese “snow rabbit” white strawberry, which sells for up to NT$100 per fruit. Strawberry fields cover more than 400 hectares of land in the township and are popular among visitors for strawberry picking, Dahu Farmers’ Association director of promotions Hu Chih-lang (胡智郎) said yesterday. Responding to increased demand for Japanese white strawberries, farmers three years ago learned how to grow the fruit, Hu said. This year’s white strawberries are larger than in previous years, fetching NT$80 to NT$100 per strawberry or up to NT$1,000 for a box of 15, he said. Growers are hoping to sell the fruit on White Day, which falls a month after Valentine’s Day, on Tuesday next week, he said, adding that the strawberry season ends next month.
Photo: Chang Hsun-tang, Taipei Times
CRIME
Reservist sentenced to jail
A Miaoli County man has been sentenced to three months in prison for failing to appear for educational mobilization. The man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), is a reservist with the Miaoli County Reserve Command. After receiving a notice to appear for educational mobilization in April last year, Tsai failed to appear for the 14-day training that began on May 14. The Miaoli District Court later sentenced him under the Punishment Act for Violation to Military Service System (妨害兵役治罪條例) for failing to report two days past the specified deadline without reason. His jail term can be commuted to NT$1,000 per day.
TRANSPORTATION
Taipei MRT awarding prizes
Taipei MRT riders are eligible to win prizes this month to celebrate the transit system’s 27th anniversary. Users of the Taipei Metro (台北捷運GO) app who make at least 11 trips this month can enter to win one of 1,500 limited-edition Pikachu ride passes, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said. People who make at least 21 trips could win one of 30 27-day passes, while 31 trips would make users eligible for one of 20 54-day passes. Those who make 41 trips could win one of 10 108-day passes, while five passengers who make at least 51 trips could win a 270-day pass. At the official “birthday” party at Taipei Main Station on March 28, the first 100 Taipei Metro members who have a birthday in March and sign up to attend would receive a gift and coupon for an afternoon tea, and would be entered to win AirPods, a coffee machine and other prizes, the company said.
AGRICULTURE
Egg price raised by NT$3
The wholesale price of domestically produced eggs yesterday was raised by NT$3 to N$55 per jin (600g), while the farm gate price of eggs also rose by NT$3 to NT$45.5 per jin. The price hikes, the second time in a month, were made due to an egg supply shortage, said Chen Chin-ting (陳進丁), the chief executive of the egg price review committee formed by the Poultry Association, which is composed of producers, processors, and sellers of poultry and eggs. Meanwhile, Council of Agriculture official Chiang Wen-chuan (江文全) said the price adjustments were made as egg suppliers told the council about inadequate supply and a significant increase in demand for eggs. A second batch of 360,000 eggs imported from Australia is expected to arrive this week as part of the council’s effort to import 5 million eggs by the end of this month to alleviate a nationwide egg shortage, he added.
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
South Korea is planning to revise its controversial electronic arrival card, a step Taiwanese officials said prompted them to hold off on planned retaliatory measures, a South Korean media report said yesterday. A Yonhap News Agency report said that the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is planning to remove the “previous departure place” and “next destination” fields from its e-arrival card system. The plan, reached after interagency consultations, is under review and aims to simplify entry procedures and align the electronic form with the paper version, a South Korean ministry official said. The fields — which appeared only on the electronic form
RSS