Investigations into vegetable price fixing underway / 找漲價源頭 全國22處地檢動員揪菜蟲　　　　　　　　　　

Prosecutors from 22 district prosecutors' offices across Taiwan visited fruit and vegetable marketing cooperatives to find out if traders have been manipulating prices. According to Yunlin County Seed Association, vegetables are expensive due to the lack of production. The supply of leafy vegetables has increased because they take a shorter time to grow. However, overall vegetable prices are expected to remain high until December. It's been a month since Typhoon Megi passed through Taiwan, but vegetable prices still remain high. Bitter gourd costs NT$250/kg, and a head of broccoli is NT$80, which is way too expensive for the average consumers. However, vegetable vendors said they are not making a huge profit, either. ==VEGETABLE VENDOR== The cost is expensive for us. On average, we only make about NT$5 for every bunch of vegetables we sell. Because vegetable prices continue to soar, 22 district prosecutors offices across Taiwan are now launching investigations to find out if some traders have been manipulating prices. ==TSAI YING-CHUN, Prosecutor, Chiayi Dist. Prosecutors Office== We visited marketing cooperatives to see how they work with vendors. We also tried to find out if vegetable supply has changed before and after the typhoon. Yunlin County Seed Association said that the high price levels resulted from the lack of production. Currently, the supply and demand is out of balance. Cabbage or bak choy harvest will help stabilize prices but will have to wait until December. Thus, vegetable prices will likely remain at high levels before then. ==YU TSAI-FA, President, Yunlin County Seed Assoc.== It takes 30 days to plant the seeds, and it will be at least 2 months before produce can be harvested. Cabbage or bak choy will take 40 days. No one is jacking up the prices. The government spends over NT$300 billion on subsidies for fallowing. Farmers suggested that this money should instead be used to help farmers grow vegetables. The government should also allow produce export, so that Taiwan can have ample supply of vegetables and profit from produce export. TRANSLATED BY：CHRISTINA LIU 梅姬颱風已經過了將近一個月，菜價依舊居高不下，走進傳統市場，苦瓜一斤要價一百五，青花椰菜一顆也要八十塊，消費者根本買不下手，不過菜販說，他們進貨成本高，其實根本賺不了多少了錢。 ==傳統市場菜販== 我們成本也很高 像我們一把菜的話 平均成本 我們都是賺5塊錢而已 由於菜價持續飆漲，全國22處地檢署也全面動起來抓「菜蟲」，希望找出漲價原因。 ==嘉義地檢署主任檢察官 蔡英俊== 查訪一下這些產銷合作社 跟他們的配合廠商之間 供貨的狀況 是颱風前 就是菜價飆漲前 跟飆漲後之間的 量的差異性而已 不過全國最大蔬菜育苗場、雲林縣種苗協會表示，現在產地沒菜、供需失衡，價格當然比較貴，而真正能穩定菜價的大宗蔬菜，例如高麗菜、包心白菜等，至少要等12月才能收成，因此整體菜價要回穩，還得等到12月左右。 ==雲林縣種苗協會理事長 余再發== 那個育苗你播種 要30天才可以種啊 對不對 那個種的話 按照時程也要2個月 最快2個月才可以採收啊 像高麗菜 像包心白菜差不多要40天 沒有什麼菜蟲嘛 農民團體建議政府，應該把每年補助菜農休耕的3千多億元，拿來輔導菜農種植，並開放國產蔬菜出口，這樣不僅能讓國內菜源供應充足，菜價便宜，還能多賺外匯，這樣才不會每次颱風來，菜價飆漲又惹民怨。 記者 綜合報導