The Ministry of Agriculture on Sunday denied that subsidies for imported pork are to blame for the falling market share of domestic pork in the nation.
The ministry issued the statement in response to claims by New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate who earlier in the day said that the ministry’s import policy has caused the market share of domestic pork to drop to 80 percent.
Import subsidies were implemented to stabilize the domestic pork market, the ministry said, attributing local pork’s falling market share to efforts to transform the pig farming industry and rising international raw material prices.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
The ministry was referring to a government program that has received billions of New Taiwan dollars in funding to encourage local pig farms to upgrade their facilities from 2021 to next year.
Nearly 3,000 hog farms have upgraded their equipment and farms, the ministry said.
Farmers keep fewer hogs during these upgrades, it said, adding that live pig numbers this year dropped by more than 5,000 tonnes from a year earlier.
In addition, pork prices are vulnerable to international raw material prices due to the Russia-Ukraine war, it said.
As such, prices for imported pork have surged since March, while imports in the first three months of the year dropped 37 percent, or 11,059 tonnes, from the same period last year.
This in turn has pushed up the prices of live hogs on the domestic market since April, topping NT$100 per kilogram at one point, the ministry said.
To stabilize pork prices in Taiwan, the ministry asked the National Animal Industry Foundation to implement a subsidy program for pork importers from May to last month.
During the five-month program, pork importers received a subsidy of NT$6 per kilogram of pork, with the total amount not surpassing 50,000 tonnes, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, supplying domestic pork to the local market was also prioritized, it said.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS