Vice Premier Chang San-cheng today instructed agencies to closely monitor the prices as well as the supply and demand of various agricultural, fishery, livestock and poultry products and daily necessities. He also directed them to implement adjustment measures in a timely fashion to ensure sufficient supply and price stability.
Chang gave these instructions to agencies like the Council of Agriculture (COA), the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), the Fair Trade Commission, and the Executive Yuan's Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) while convening a price stabilization task force meeting today in the Executive Yuan. The meeting was called in order to ascertain the commodity supply situation for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday (February 18 to 23).
The supply and marketing of poultry products have been adjusted due to the bird flu epidemic, but there is no reason to raise prices since only 0.5 percent of chickens (514,000 of 92.13 million) and 0.8 percent of ducks (84,557 of 9.63 million) have been culled, the vice premier indicated. Moreover, the slaughter ban will be lifted at noon January 28 and will not be resumed before the Lunar New Year holidays in order to ensure sufficient supply.
According to the COA, the outbreak of bird flu has made the public concerned about the safety of domestic poultry products. Consumers have thus turned to other meats instead, consequently influencing the supply, demand and price of pork in particular. The council has strengthened pork supply and marketing adjustments and is working with industry associations and local governments to rebuild consumers' confidence. It hopes the public will purchase domestic high-quality livestock and poultry products with certified slaughterhouse labeling.
In February, about 530,000 live hogs can be supplied to the market, a similar number to the same period last year. It is anticipated that an average of 35,000 pigs can be supplied each day in the last five trading days (February 13 to 17) before the Lunar New Year, which should be sufficient. As for poultry, 2.1 million free-range chickens and 4 million white broiler chickens are estimated to be available in the week before the holidays, along with 18.8 million eggs per day. The wholesale market will coordinate to flexibly increase supplies to meet consumers' needs.
The COA stated it will increase commodity supplies depending on the market situation. During the five days before the festival, overall vegetable supply will rise 30 percent, from 1,800 metric tons per day to 2,340 metric tons, and daily fruit supply 40 percent, from 600 metric tons to 840 metric tons. Supplies of festive flowers such as chrysanthemums, roses, flaming lilies, gladioli (sword lilies), pineapple flowers and cat-tail willows will also be boosted.
The COA will coordinate with aquaculture production and marketing groups and associations to increase fish supply. During the five days before the festival, 13 fish markets will hike their total daily transactions 40 percent, from 335 metric tons to 470 metric tons, to meet consumers' holiday demand.
To impel vendors to collaborate in stabilizing commodity prices, the MOEA has conducted weekly surveillance of festival-related products of 11 traditional markets, four major convenience store chains, two supermarket chains and two hypermarket chains. The MOEA also called upon consumers to shop smartly by comparing prices between different sales outlets to get the best bargain.
The MOEA added it has instructed state-run enterprises to collaborate to stabilize commodity prices during the festival. For instance, Taiwan Sugar Corp. has lowered its price of sugar in small packs to NT$33 (US$1.08) per kilogram since December 29, 2014 to reflect the falling prices of sugar internationally. Meanwhile, 18-liter containers of cooking oil will remain at their lowest sticker price, and oil supply will stay steady. The MOEA will coordinate pork sales with the COA to stabilize pork prices and market supply, and prices of pork-related products will not be raised during this period.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) pointed out that falling oil prices are gradually being reflected in the ticket prices of intra- and inter-city buses; between mid-January and today, all bus operators had lowered their prices. Vice Premier Chang directed the MOTC to continue paying close attention to this issue as a great number of people will return to their hometowns during the Lunar New Year festival.