Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/03/04
By: Wu Hsin-yun and William Yen

Taipei, March 4 (CNA) Assistance will be given to vegetable farmers to reduce a stockpile

Harvested vegetables are seen laying in a pile with other dried leaves and twigs on Sunday in Yunlin county. Due to repeated holidays and closures of Taipei’s fruits & vegetables wholesale markets within the past few weeks, some farmers have had to resort to using vegetables as compost. CNA photo March 4, 2018

of vegetables left over from repeated holidays and closures of Taipei’s fruits & vegetables wholesale markets within the past few weeks, an Agriculture and Food Agency (AFA) official said Sunday.

Following Taipei’s fruits & vegetables wholesale markets closure for five days during the Luna New Year festivities from Feb. 16-20, the markets closed again from Feb. 24-26.

When the markets re-opened Feb. 27, there were more than 150,000 batches of agricultural products in stock totaling a trading volume of 2,108 tons, causing prices to collapse amidst the groans of farmers.

Thomas Peng (彭錦鵬), a professor at National Taiwan University, said on his Facebook page Sunday that he was very surprised as he only spent NT$30 (US$1.02) to purchase a large pack of spoon cabbage and three broccoli at his local traditional markets.
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