News
Tighter milk import management urged
Changhua County Magistrate Wang Hui-mei is urging the central government to strengthen its management of dairy imports. The call comes as the government is set to open the local market to imported New Zealand dairy products.
Wang says although milk producers in Changhua are not concerned about competition from overseas, they are seeking to ensure that the place of origin be clearly marked on all imported milk so consumers can distinguish between local and foreign brands.
The government is set to lift tariffs on dairy products from New Zealand by 1 January of next year under the Taiwan-New Zealand Economic Cooperation Agreement, which was signed in 2013.
Changhua County is the island's biggest milk producer - and it accounts for about one of every four bottles of milk produced here in Taiwan. County government data shows that 108,000 metric tons of milk is produced annually, with a value at about NT$3 billion. The Ministry of Agriculture has said that its goal is for domestically produced milk to supply at least 90% of total demand.
