The Agriculture and Food Agency is to promote locally produced agricultural products at eight chain outlets from Monday next week to the end of the year, agency Deputy Director-General Chen Chi-jung (陳啟榮) said.
The initiative aims to promote domestic agriculture amid global supply chain restructuring, Chen said.
While US President Donald Trump seeks an “America First” policy, Taiwan should take a “Taiwan First” approach to bolster local industries, he said.
Photo: Screen grab from the Agriculture and Food Agency’s Web site
Following the example of Japan’s “Green Lantern” movement, the Ministry of Agriculture sought advice from the Corporate Synergy Development Center to explore feasible strategies in promoting locally grown produce to the public, he said.
Launched in Hokkaido, the Green Lantern movement has over the past 20 years spread across Japan, encouraging local eateries to hang a green lantern outside their buildings to show that grown-in-Japan ingredients are used in their dishes.
To encourage customers to prioritize local produce, the first step is to help them identify them, Chen said, adding that agricultural products with national certified marks, such as traceability certification, organic certification or certified agricultural standards, are all homegrown products.
The second step is to let customers know where they can buy local, he said.
While green lanterns are used in Japan, Taiwan has sales channels that can be leveraged for product distribution, which is why the ministry collaborated with eight major chains to market local produce, with promotional campaigns to be held nationwide from this month to December, he said.
The chains are Muji, Carrefour Taiwan, Taiwan Fresh Supermarket, Taiwan FamilyMart, GCI Shop, Post Mall, Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Co and City’super.
People can participate in a lucky draw for each purchase of NT$200 or more as long as they register the unified receipt and upload a photograph of the purchased local produce, Chen said.
The incentive plan is not only expected to attract more local produce consumers, but also create greater demand that would encourage more domestic agricultural production, he said.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
Taiwanese officials are courting podcasters and influencers aligned with US President Donald Trump as they grow more worried the US leader could undermine Taiwanese interests in talks with China, people familiar with the matter said. Trump has said Taiwan would likely be on the agenda when he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) next week in a bid to resolve persistent trade tensions. China has asked the White House to officially declare it “opposes” Taiwanese independence, Bloomberg reported last month, a concession that would mark a major diplomatic win for Beijing. President William Lai (賴清德) and his top officials
The German city of Hamburg on Oct. 14 named a bridge “Kaohsiung-Brucke” after the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. The footbridge, formerly known as F566, is to the east of the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district, and connects the Dar-es-Salaam-Platz to the Brooktorpromenade near the Port of Hamburg on the Elbe River. Timo Fischer, a Free Democratic Party member of the Hamburg-Mitte District Assembly, in May last year proposed the name change with support from members of the Social Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union. Kaohsiung and Hamburg in 1999 inked a sister city agreement, but despite more than a quarter-century of
RSS