April 2, 2012

China's agriculture council hopes to boost pork sales, prices

The pork retailers of China will soon post assurance certificates from hog farmers proving that their meat is free of leanness-enhancing drugs, a measure the Council of Agriculture (COA) hopes will lift slow pork sales in the midst of food worries.

Hsu Kuei-sen, chief of the COA's Department of Animal Industry, said Friday (Mar 30) that the measure could take effect within a week.

Since March 14, domestic hog farmers have been required to sign a written guarantee pledging they have not used leanness enhancers in raising their pigs.

The step was taken after two farms in Pingtung County were found to have fed their hogs with ractopamine and salbutamol.

Consumers have no access to such guarantees because they are being provided only to wholesalers, but they will soon be able to see them posted at retail outlets selling pork.

Also Friday, an alliance of civic groups announced that they will stage a food safety protest in Taipei Sunday to demand that the government maintain its zero-tolerance policy for leanness enhancers in meats and ensure transparency in its policy-making process.

The issue has sparked concern in Taiwan since the government unveiled early this month its plan to move toward conditionally lifting a ban on imports of beef containing residues of ractopamine.