February 1, 2012

 

Taiwan mulls to follow Japan on US beef issue

 

 

Taiwan may think over adopting Japan's approach to deal with the issue of beef purchases from the US, the newly appointed agriculture minister of Taiwan said Tuesday (Jan 31).

 

Japan took a dual approach, allowing certain levels of the feed additive ractopamine in US beef imports and banning the chemical in its domestic beef products, said Chen Bao-ji, a professor at National Taiwan University's Department of Animal Science and Technology in an interview with CNA.

 

Residues of ractopamine, a chemical that promotes leanness in beef and pork, are banned in Taiwan but are allowed at controlled levels in the US.

 

Taiwan's stance of zero levels of ractopamine in beef imports has been a source of contention in its trade relations with the US, resulting in a prolonged suspension of talks under the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement between the two sides.

 

In the interview, Chen said his focus is on food safety issues such as US beef imports, the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks, and Taiwan's possible trade agreements with Singapore and New Zealand.

 

Turning to local agricultural issues, he said the regulations on fallow land are quite rigid. There should be a distinction between land ownership rights and land use, he suggested.

 

In addition, more land should be allocated for agricultural purposes, he said, stressing that such policies would require the support of the finance and interior ministries.

 

Prior to his appointment Tuesday as head of the Council of Agriculture (COA), Chen served as a long-term advisor to the government on agriculture policy.

 

He is known to have expertise particularly in the livestock industry, having represented the Taiwan government several times in negotiations with the US Grains Council, US Meat Export Federation's pork export division and the US National Chicken Council.

 

In the period 1998- 2000, he served as director of the COA's Animal Industry Department and helped restructure the pork industry after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

 

During that period, he participated in the negotiations for Taiwan's admission to the World Trade Organization, an experience that has prepared him well to handle other international trade talks, according to an NTU alumnus.