source: Global Network
[ Global Network report] According to Taiwan's "United Daily News", the Taitung County Council held a general county government inquiry today (3rd). Some members said that pineapple custard apple ( custard apple ) is a Varieties) are about to be harvested, but there is still no news about Taiwan’s “Council of Agriculture” promising to assist in export sales. He suggested that the county government ask when the 5,000 tons promised to be exported by the “Council of Agriculture” will be fulfilled. When Taitung County Magistrate Rao Qingling heard the promise made by the "Council of Agriculture", she responded to the legislators by saying, "The more they talk about it, the more angry they become, and they don't want to talk about it."
Pineapple Custard Apple (Photo source: Taiwanese media)
Taiwan's "United Daily News" reported on November 3 that at the Taitung County Council's general county government inquiry on the 3rd, Taitung County Magistrate Rao Qingling of the Kuomintang was questioned. When asked by
Councilor Xu Jinrong, he said that the pineapple custard apples will be harvested in December, but it seems that the "Agricultural Committee" originally promised to assist in exporting and selling 5,000 tons and processing 3,000 tons, but there is no specific news yet? Don't end up with nothing and let the farmers rejoice in vain. This will definitely cause dissatisfaction among the farmers, and it does not even rule out "going north to protest".
Xu Jinrong suggested that the county government should actively ask when the 5,000 tons promised to be exported by the "Agricultural Committee" will be realized, and the specific methods and progress should be clearly explained to farmers.
Rao Qingling said that the Taitung County Government team has been working hard to find channels since September 20, including cooperating with supermarkets, stores and e-commerce platforms, and even asking for help from enterprises. It is hoped that the quantity will be accumulated bit by bit and the 15,000 tons can be successfully It was sold, but the "Council of Agriculture" promised to help export 5,000 tons, but there is still no news.
Rao Qingling said that she also wanted to know whether the "Agricultural Committee" assisted in sales. She must be responsible for what she promised. Doesn't it mean how much is sold here? How many are sold there? Everyone knows how to talk about beautiful numbers. The important thing is how to actually sell the custard apples, which is what the farmers want, rather than the farmers watching the custard apples grow day by day and still hanging on the trees.
In September this year, the General Administration of Customs issued a notice stating that quarantine pests had been detected in custard apples and lotus apples imported from Taiwan to the mainland many times, and announced a suspension of the import of cherimoya and lotus apples from Taiwan.
When the news spread to the island, the Democratic Progressive Party authorities accused the mainland of "political suppression" and "harming the interests of Taiwanese farmers." In response, Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said on September 29 that since this year, mainland customs has For the first time, a quarantine pest, the oceanic mealybug, was intercepted from custard apples and lotus seeds imported from Taiwan. Measures were taken to return or destroy them in accordance with the law, and Taiwan was notified in a timely manner. This pest endangers a variety of fruits and food crops, posing a serious threat to agricultural and forestry production and ecological security. According to customs reports, in addition to the oceanic mealybug, harmful organisms such as the cocoa flower gall pathogen and the new pineapple ash mealybug were also detected in custard apples and lotus seeds imported from Taiwan. In order to prevent the risk of plant epidemics from the source, in accordance with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of the mainland, the General Administration of Customs has decided to suspend the import of cherimoya and lotus apples from Taiwan to the mainland starting from September 20, 2021.
Zhu Fenglian said that since 2020, the mainland has repeatedly notified relevant parties in Taiwan of unqualified imported fruits and reminded them to strengthen source control, but this situation has not been improved. In order to protect agricultural production and ecological security and protect the vital interests of the people, the import of custard apple and lotus root from Taiwan is suspended, which is scientific, reasonable and completely legitimate. The General Administration of Customs has notified Taiwan accordingly through the "Cross-Strait Agricultural Products Quarantine and Inspection Cooperation Agreement" contact channel. The DPP authorities have politicized necessary suspension measures related to agricultural production and ecological security, as well as the vital interests of the people, and used the opportunity to maliciously smear the mainland and incite cross-strait confrontation. They have completely ulterior motives, which shows that they do not want to solve the problem at all, and have no regard for Taiwan's farmers. will only further harm the vital interests of the Taiwanese people.
