At Thursday's weekly Cabinet meeting, Premier Chen Chien-jen received a briefing from the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) on the results of its egg import program and proposed improvement measures. The premier said that the program was introduced earlier this year in response to shortfalls in domestic egg production. The MOA adopted a time- and geographically-limited egg import program, which successfully lowered the consumer price of this important daily good. The program yielded overall benefits totaling NT$6 billion (US$186.8 million), while also eliminating the black market trade in eggs and stabilizing domestic supplies and prices.
The premier said it was the first time that Taiwan had implemented such a large-scale emergency import program. He thanked the MOA as well as the many private enterprises which worked together to secure a supply of eggs from abroad, ensuring the public had access to affordably-priced eggs.
To ensure consumer confidence, the latest information about imported eggs has been published on the MOA website in a special section devoted to the topic. The premier said the MOA and Ministry of Health and Welfare continue to be dedicated to upholding food safety. He also said follow-up actions for the MOA must include establishing a sound system for handling domestic egg production and sales, and stabilizing imports through managing cold chain storage supplies, in order to protect the rights and interests of consumers and egg farmers.