Wuhan Pneumonia Impact 0208"Pandemic Spreads, All-Out Response! Council of Agriculture: Exports to China Blocked, Domestic Demand Tightening, NT$1.5 Billion in Relief Prepared

The Wuhan pneumonia outbreak continues to spread, and it is also taking a toll on Taiwan's agriculture, including blocked exports of agricultural products to China (mainly pineapple sugar apples, pineapples, grouper, and fourfinger threadfin), the need to absorb school group-meal ingredients due to postponed school openings, tightening spending in leisure agriculture as people stay home to prevent the epidemic, reduced farmer incomes and increased financial pressure on their livelihoods, and a shortage of fishing labor because Chinese crew members cannot come to Taiwan.

In response to these various problems, Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung said that NT$1.2 to 1.5 billion in funding will be prepared and strategies proposed to address them, including increased subsidies for overseas marketing, opening up new markets, matching distributors and having military meals absorb school group-meal ingredients, opening up e-commerce channels and home delivery, providing relief loans to farmers, coordinating with the Ministry of Labor to shorten the timeline for fishery and livestock production and marketing adjustment, and other guidance measures to reduce the impact on the industry.