The nation's fruit and vegetable supplies will be sufficient for the Mid-Autumn Festival on September 8, and additional pork, chicken and seafood will be made available the week before the holiday to ensure demand for these products is met.
Officials are keeping a close eye on the supply and demand of commodities traditionally enjoyed during this holiday and discussed the issue today at the Executive Yuan price stabilization task force meeting convened by Vice Premier Mao Chi-kuo.
At the meeting, the Council of Agriculture (COA) and Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) reported on price trends for Mid-Autumn Festival necessities and government response measures.
Wholesale produce prices are stable because no typhoons damaged Taiwanese crops this August, the COA noted.
Moreover, according to a DCP market survey this month, the retail prices of about 70 percent of mooncakes have either fallen or remained unchanged.
However, pork, white broiler chicken and seafood prices are all higher than last year. Hence, the week before the festival a higher volume of these commodities will be supplied to markets so that demand will be met.
Mao enjoined the COA, DCP and other relevant agencies to closely follow the supply, demand, prices and quantities of fruits, vegetables and other products throughout the coming holiday period and to investigate and deal with irregularities. This is to ensure sufficient supply and diverse options for shoppers and guarantee that citizens have a happy holiday, he said.
Because Taiwanese often barbecue meat together during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the government will keep close watch on agricultural production and the market and make the allocations necessary to ensure that supply is sufficient and wholesale prices are stable in the days leading up to the holiday, the COA added.