The government has 143 food distribution stations around the nation and supply chains that are “fully planned” in the event of an emergency such as an invasion by China, Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) said on Wednesday.
Chen also during a legislative hearing said that Taiwan “currently has five-and-a-half months of public grain reserves” which could increase to “about eight or nine months if [this year’s] harvest is good.”
The state-run reserves “usually last from eight to 12 months,” but Taiwan also has private grain reserves, which means at present the nation’s food needs could be met for a year, he said.
Photo: Yeh Yung-chien, Taipei Times
The distribution process is a collaboration between central and local governments, although the central government “would not directly” handle food distribution in a national emergency, Chen added.
While there are 143 stations, not every county or city requires one, since food distribution plans are not based on those administrative divisions, Chen said.
The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) would provide more detailed information on food distribution plans as part of ongoing preparations for emergency scenarios, including war and natural disasters, he said.
The minister was responding to concerns raised by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲), who cited a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Taiwan’s food security.
The US think tank report said that a Chinese blockade could “at any time” prevent ships from reaching Taiwan, which imports 70 percent of its food and 96 percent of its energy, Weng said.
On Oct. 14 last year, for instance, the China’s military conducted large-scale drills around Taiwan that, according to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, focused on capabilities including “the blockade and control of key ports and areas.”
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