Central GOVT imports vegetables to stabilize prices / 菜價飆高 中央擬專案進口蔬菜平穩菜價　　　　　　　　　　

Prices for vegetables in Taiwan have skyrocketed, and the central government now says it will seek to stabilize the market by increasing supply with imported vegetables. However, local governments worry that if these imports coincide with new local harvests, oversupply will lead to the collapse of prices, further damaging the interests of Taiwanese farmers. Ever since vegetable prices took hikes after typhoons, the central government has been trying to nail down vegetable distributors who allegedly drove up prices. However, Yunlin County Councilor Li suspects that the inspections to fruit and vegetable markets are harmful to farmers. ==LI MING-CHE, Yunlin County Councilor== The agricultural departments or ministries are conducting inspections at fruit and vegetable markets. This has no effect on catching the vegetable price manipulators. It directly harms farmers' rights. County Councilor Li said, vegetable production suffered an 80% loss after typhoons. The soaring price of vegetables is a usual phenomenon. The central government is to import vegetables from foreign countries to stabilize prices. By that time, farmers' newly grown produces will be on markets, and that again will cause farmers' losses. ==LI MING-CHE, Yunlin County Councilor== After their second plough, the quantity of vegetables will go up and the price will go down. If the government is to import vegetable from foreign countries, that will be a heavy punch to farmers. ==LEE CHIN-YUNG, Yunlin County Magistrate== The supply gradually had stabilized. At this moment we heard of the central government is planning to import vegetables from foreign countries, in order to stabilize prices. I think it is not necessary to do so. If the government were to allow the imports, then it will sabotage the prices of agricultural produces. I hope the central government to assess carefully on the consequence. Magistrate Lee had emphasized, the action taken by the central government is understandable; however the large-scale inspections had affected supply-and-demand market institution. The imported foreign vegetables will cause the vegetable prices to fall sharply. TRANSLATED BY：ANTHONY LIN 颱風後菜價飆高，中央政府近期大動作抓菜蟲，但這樣的做法讓雲林縣議員李明哲質疑，現在這樣稽查產地果菜市場，根本對農民是一大傷害。 ==雲林縣議員 李明哲== 農政單位或是中央部會 部門 對於這種手段執行 其實沒有達到要抓菜蟲效果 反而就直接傷害到菜農權益 李明哲表示，颱風過後蔬菜損失率達八成，菜價高屬於正常現象，但除了查察菜價，中央要進口蔬菜來平穩菜價，到時又剛好碰上復耕農產上市，恐怕對農民又是大不利。 ==雲林縣議員 李明哲== 復耕後 自然蔬菜產量就會提高 價格就會往下走 但如果再加上進口蔬菜來的話 等於是給農民一記重拳 ==雲林縣長 李進勇== 市場供應已經慢慢回復穩定 這時候聽說中央 計畫要進口國外蔬菜進來 要來平穩物價 我想現在已經沒有平穩必要 反而再進口蔬菜的話 會傷害到我們農產品市場價格 希望中央能審慎評估 李進勇強調，中央政府大動作進行查察是否有不法囤積蔬菜，地方政府都可以理解，但這樣大規模動作的確已經影響到市場機制，但接下來若再以進口蔬菜平穩菜價，恐會造成菜價崩盤。 記者 王威雄 雲林報導