Taiwan pig numbers boosted by Taisugar

Taiwan's state-owned Taiwan Sugar Co., Taisugar, is to provide more pigs to the market to help meet the growing demand for pork, a Cabinet official for the Commodity Price Stabilization Commission of the Executive Yuan has said.

"Under the resolution, Taisugar is urged to supply 600 more hogs per day in the run-up to the Dragon Boat Festival to meet the growing market demand," Government Information Office Minister Vanessa Yea-ping Shih told reporters.

Main ingredient
Shih explained that the move is aimed at helping to stabilize the price of pork during the Dragon Boat Festival, when local people usually eat Zongze, a glutinous rice dumpling that has pork as one of its main ingredients.

The government will in principle offer local farmer's moderate subsidies to ease their financial burden caused by the surging fertiliser prices. According to market sources, the wholesale price of pork on the market hit an all-time high of around NT$7,721 (US$253) per 100 kg Saturday, up 62 percent year-on-year.

Shih made the remarks following the first meeting of the Commodity Price Stabilization Commission convened by Premier Liu Chao-shiuan since the inauguration of his Cabinet May 20.

Revitalise
The task force which will meet every two weeks began operation under the former Democratic Progressive Party government and the new administration will boost its operation to stabilize domestic commodity prices, as part of an all out effort to revitalise the struggling economy.

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