Pig Farmers Ass’n Protests to AIT over Possible Market Opening to US Pork

Pig Farmers Ass’n Protests to AIT over Possible Market Opening to US Pork

Source: All Taipei Newspapers

April 28, 2016

Pan Chang-cheng (潘長成), a Pingtung county councilmember of Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) affiliation and honorary president of the Association of Pig Farmers in Pingtung County, staged a protest with a dozen or so TSU members in front of the American Institute in Taiwan's (AIT) Taipei Office yesterday, expressing their opposition to lifting the ban on US pork imports containing ractopamine residue. Pan noted that the importation of US pork containing ractopamine residue would not only affect people’s health but also severely impact the retail price of local pork. Moreover, Pan stated that most pig farmers who relied on loans would fail to sustain themselves after the ban on US pork was lifted.

An AIT representative later received their written letter of protest. When interviewed, Pan said that if the incoming DPP government forcefully lifted the ban on US pork imports containing ractopamine residue, without any regard to public opposition and pig farmers’ interests, he would consider the DPP a cheater of votes. He went on to say that he would lodge another stronger protest in Taipei with members of pig farmers’ associations from around the country if the new government decided to lift the ban.

Pan noted that Pingtung county raised most of the pigs in Taiwan, accounting for one fourth of the country’s total, in both the number of pigs and the number of pig farmers. Pan stated that Tsao Chi-hung (曹啟鴻), Minister-designate of the Council of Agriculture (COA), who had served as Pingtung county executive, must know the impact lifting the ban would have on pig farmers. However, he was very disappointed to see Tsao surrender to US pressure before a single fight, said Pan.

Pan also noted that the KMT had achieved little during its eight-year rule, but at least the KMT succeeded in resisting US pressure and refused to lift the ban before May 20. Pan said, “Why would the DPP lift the ban on ractopamine residue after May 20? The incoming DPP government should mull it over.”

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