The government yesterday offered rare details of its wartime food plan, saying it is taking monthly inventories of crucial supplies such as rice and making sure they are properly stored across the nation in case of a Chinese blockade.
China has over the past five years staged almost daily military activities around Taiwan, including war games that have practiced blockades and attacks on ports.
China’s latest war games around Taiwan, carried out last week, included mock blockades of key ports and areas, and assaults of maritime and ground targets, Beijing said.
Photo: CNA
In a report to the Legislative Yuan about preparations in case of a Chinese blockade, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, the Ministry of Agriculture said it has ensured that rice stockpiles were above a three-month level as required by law and that food supplies were stored across the nation in a bid to “lower attack risks.”
Current rice stocks are enough to support the nation for at least seven months and plans on rice rationing through supply stations across the country are being made in case of a food crisis, the ministry said.
During a blockade, more farmland would be used to grow rice, the ministry said, adding that it would prioritize growing sweet potatoes, soybeans and fresh vegetables, as well as using more ponds for aquaculture.
In a scenario in which sea fishing is not allowed, the ministry said the nation’s fish feed inventory would be enough to support fishing in ponds for more than three months.
The ministry said it was planning to set up a task force to ensure food supply safety by taking a monthly inventory of the nation’s food resources.
Taiwan, a farming powerhouse during Japanese colonial rule from 1895 to 1945, depends on imports for the majority of its food needs as farm land was taken over for factories during rapid industrialization starting in the 1960s.
Taiwan’s food self-sufficiency rate last year dropped to an 18-year low of 30.3 percent, a previous report from the ministry said.
In a separate report to the legislature on preparations for the same scenario, the National Security Bureau said China’s cyberforces were honing their skills to infiltrate key online infrastructure such as telecoms in a bid to destabilize Taiwan with misinformation during a conflict with China.
Additionally, over the past two years, China has carried out “joint combat readiness patrols” near Taiwan three to four times per month, it added.
The number of tanker aircraft used for aerial refueling, landing ships and other forces participating in the training has been gradually increased, it said.
“This underscores that the communist military has continued to escalate its military threat against Taiwan in an effort to establish a blockade and control of our external sea lines of communication,” the bureau said.
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
A Taiwanese academic yesterday said that Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Wang Xuefeng (王雪峰) disrespected Denmark and Japan when he earlier this year allegedly asked Japan’s embassy to make Taiwan’s representatives leave an event in Copenhagen. The Danish-language Berlingske on Sunday reported the incident in an article with the headline “The emperor’s birthday ended in drama in Copenhagen: More conflict may be on the way between Denmark and China.” It said that on Feb. 26, the Japanese embassy in Denmark held an event for Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s birthday, with about 200 guests in attendance, including representatives from Taiwan. After addressing the Japanese hosts, Wang
One of two tropical depressions that formed offshore this morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. It is expected to move in a northwesterly direction as it continues building momentum, possibly intensifying into Typhoon Mitag this weekend, she added. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is expected to approach southeast of Taiwan on Monday and pass through the Bashi Channel between Tuesday and Wednesday,
RSS