Taiwan News
Date: 2016-05-19
By: Central News Agency

Taipei, May 19 (CNA) From May 20, Taiwan will have a new government, but before the change of power takes place, something has happened that challenges the country’s warm interactions with its mighty neighbor — China — over the past eight years.

Under the uncertainty in cross-Taiwan Strait relations due to the upcoming change of power, Taiwan’s exports of farm products to China have shown signs of a slowdown, which is particularly obvious in the sectors that produce soft-shell turtle eggs and groupers, the United Daily News reported Thursday.

The price of soft-shell turtle eggs, regarded as more nutritious than chicken eggs in Chinese society, has plummeted from NT$7 (US$0.2) each to NT$0.3 in the China-destined export market since early this year, the local newspaper cited Chang Nan-chien, chairman of the Taiwan Soft-Shell Turtle Keepers’ Association, as reporting.

Taiwan exports 150 million soft-shell turtle eggs to China each year, Chang was cited as saying. “Early this year, the export price was still at NT$7 each, but fell unexpectedly to NT$2.8 within two weeks in March,” he complained.     [FULL  STORY]