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COA coordinates the supply of fruits, vegetables, flowers, fishery and livestock products to meet increased Lunar New Year demand
During the Lunar New Year holidays, the Council of Agriculture coordinated the main markets of fruits and vegetables, flowers and meat suppliers in anticipation of meeting the increased demand. Five days before the New Year, demand for vegetables, flowers, fruits, fishery products, pigs and native chicken was expected to increase by 46%, 53%, 137%, 27%, 67%, and 22.8%, respectively. The supply of rice and rice products, is also sufficient.
According to the COA, the demand for fruits, vegetables, flowers, fishery and livestock commodities increases before Lunar New Year. From February 13 to 17, the supply of vegetables and fruit increased by 46% and 53% respectively at the fruit and vegetable wholesale markets. The fruit and vegetable suppliers from Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung provided 4,500 tons of vegetables and 3,200 tons of fruits. And this is the production season for carrots, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, seedy mustard, broccoli and spinach, and fruits like tangerines, oranges, Chinese dates and wax apples production, the supply of those products are sufficient too.
The average daily trade volume of flowers is about 245,000 bundles. The supply rose by an estimated 137%, or 335,000 bundles a day, after the close coordination of the supply five days before the Lunar New Year. The supply of festival flowers like chrysanthemum, rose, lily, Anthurium, gladiolus, guzmania and cat-tail willow increased to match the market demand.
In fishery commodities, the producers and marketers increased their supply of grouper, perch, tilapia, red-shirt fish and blue-spotted snapper by 27%, a total of 1,350 tons.
The total supply of pigs was 209,465 heads (it equal to 41,893 heads per day), an increase of 67%. Which is sufficient to meet the demand. The COA regulated the pork market reported unusual daily trade. The auction which is sufficient to meet the demand price of pig remained stable at NT$48 – NT$49 per kilogram. It is anticipated that the supplier adjusted supply according to the market purchase intentions.
As for poultry, the supply of native chickens rose to 464,400 heads per day, an increase of 22.8%. The supply was sufficient and prices remained stable. The supply of red-feathered native chicken, black-feathered native chicken, black-boned chicken, pearl chicken, fighting cock and capon increased by 10 – 30%.
Rice and rice products are important products for the Lunar New Year. The demand for rice and glutinous rice products increased. Good weather conditions last year raised the productivity and quality of domestic produced rice, also in sufficient supply.
The COA reported that there was sufficient supply of fruits, vegetables, flowers fishery and livestock commodities due to normal weather conditions. This in turn led to stable market prices. Due to the suppliers foresaw the increase in demand for agriculture products and adopted timely measures, the abrupt changes in supply and prices were avoided. The COA also coordinated the farmers' and fishermen's organizations during the market closed period with supermarkets and wholesalers to supply abundantly of the agriculture, fishery and livestock products (between the first day and the fifth day of the first month of the lunar calendar). The COA further set up a commodity supervision team to coordinate the main markets, direct sellers and the farmers' and fishermen's groups to cope with the increase in demand during the lunar New Year period. Through the above adapted measures which resulted in sufficient supply of commodities, enabled ensured everyone to have a good Lunar New Year Holidays.