February 10, 2012

Southern Taiwan's pork prices drop

After the Lunar New Year, the wholesale pork price fell by over TWD10/kg (US$0.3) in Taiwan's Kaohsiung City, mainly due to a slump in demand, a government-run meat and poultry alliance said Thursday (Feb 9).

The average price of pork after the New Year has dropped to TWD62.7 (US$2.13) per kilogramme from around TWD75 (US$2.55) per kg before the Lunar New Year holiday, said Huang Shun-ming, manager of the alliance, jointly operated by the city government and the Kaohsiung City Farmers' Association.

The post-Lunar New Year Day price was a three-year low and a drop from the average TWD71 (US$2.41) per kg of 2011, Huang added.

Huang said that the domestic pork market usually slumps slightly after the Chinese New Year, but the sharp price fluctuation this year has worried farmers in Kaohsiung, one of Taiwan's main pig farming areas.

Moreover, local cattle and pig farmers are concerned about the prospects of the domestic market if the government eases its ban on the import of US beef with residues of ractopamine, a leanness-enhancing chemical banned in Taiwan, said Lee Chien-cheng, president of Kaohsiung-based meat and poultry processing association.