Vice Premier Jiang Yi-huah stated after presiding over a meeting on price stabilization on June 29 that the Executive Yuan will closely watch the prices of goods which are especially popular in the summertime, such as ice desserts and milk, to ensure that people in Taiwan can enjoy the season without worrying about overwhelming price hikes. He also asked the authorities responsible to monitor commodity price fluctuations and quickly take action to stabilize prices if they detect any abnormalities.
The Council of Agriculture (COA) has cautioned the Taiwan Regional Association of Dairy Processors about raising the prices of dairy products to avoid making a negative impression on the public. According to the COA, barring a significant increase in the price of feed, the reference price for raw milk should not change this year; as dairy factories do not adjust the market price of fresh milk, this summer's dairy prices are not expected to exceed last summer's. Jiang also asked the COA to keep the domestic milk supply and the cost of dairy farming stable by implementing measures to lessen dairy farmers' reliance on imported grass.
In addition, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) found ice dessert prices relatively stable when it surveyed manufacturers, retailers and night markets. Major ice dessert manufacturers stated that prices will not increase this summer; retailers are planning to drive sales through discounts; and the prices of shaved ice desserts at night markets are stable. The MOEA will continue to scrutinize price fluctuations to protect consumers.
At the meeting, the prices of 17 essential commodities from June 1-20 were compared with the same commodities' March prices. Some goods' prices had risen, and some had fallen, but none of the changes were out of the ordinary. Items whose prices increased included rice, chicken, cooking oil, milk, instant noodles, laundry detergent, toilet paper, body wash, toothpaste and sliced bread; prices for flour, pork, soy sauce and sugar decreased; milk powder's price was unchanged. Egg prices plummeted over 7 percent due to oversupply while shampoo prices fell over 5 percent due to retail promotions.