As the Spring Festival draws near, Deputy Mayor Wang Yu-min, on behalf of Mayor Lu Hsiu-yen, made a visit at dawn today (on December 26th) to the Taichung Fish Market and the Taichung Fruit and Vegetable Market along with the Director of Agriculture Bureau of Taichung City Government(hereinafter as "the Agriculture Bureau"), Chang Ching-chang. They personally checked the supply and demand of fish and vegetables before the Spring Festival, and urged market wholesalers to increase their supply to ensure that citizens have a bountiful Chinese New Year. Deputy Mayor Wang also extended New Year greetings to market vendors and staff, wishing everyone a prosperous and successful 2024, the Year of the Dragon!
At 4:30 a.m. today, before dawn broke, Deputy Mayor Wang and Director Chang were already at the Taichung Fish Market. They were joined by Chairman Li Huan-hsiang and General Manager Huang Jui-cheng of the Taichung Fish Market Co., Ltd., along with Chairman Lin Hsin-fu of the Taichung Fishery Business Association, to inspect the market's trading activities. The market was lively with a plentiful supply of fish, and the sound of auctions filled the air, showing the approaching Spring Festival and the increasing demand from buyers.
According to the Taichung Fish Market Co., Ltd., the prices of fish during the Spring Festival are influenced by the festivity. While there has been a slightly increase, it remains within a reasonable range. Currently, the market is at a daily average trading volume of around 48 metric tons of seafood, with an average price of NT$169.6 per kilogram. Common fish like yellow croaker, grouper, tilapia, and milkfish are consistently available. Beginning from February 5, all staff will be mobilized to manage traffic flow. Additionally, they will conduct maintenance and repair of auction equipment throughout the market and increase the number of maintenance personnel on-site to ensure smooth and uninterrupted auction operations before the Spring Festival.
At 5:30 a.m., Deputy Mayor Wang then visited the Taichung Fruit and Vegetable Market to inspect the auction proceedings with General Manager Yu Chia-yen of the Taichung Fruit and Vegetable Marketing Co., Ltd., and Chairman Wang Yao-kuan of the Taichung Fruit and Vegetable Association. Director Chang noted that food safety and the cold chain of fresh produce have always been the prioritized affairs of the Agriculture Bureau. They've assisted the Taichung Fruit and Vegetable Marketing Co., Ltd. in setting up mass spectrometers for rapid measurements. Additionally, the completion of a large storage refrigerated warehouse, which has began construction last year, ensures that all agricultural products traded in the market are both safe and fresh. The Agriculture Bureau and wholesale markets remain committed to providing high-quality and safe agricultural products, ensuring citizens can buy confidently and eat with peace of mind.
According to the Taichung Fruit and Vegetable Marketing Co., Ltd., there's an abundant supply of fruits and vegetables at the Taichung Fruit and Vegetable Market for the Spring Festival. Recent vegetable growth conditions have been favorable, with an average daily trading volume of around 174 metric tons and an average price of NT$18.8 per kilogram. On the other hand, while overall fruit production has decreased this winter all over Taiwan, the Taichung Fruit and Vegetable Market still reach an average daily trade of about 355 metric tons and an average price of NT$66.3 per kilogram. Apart from citrus fruits, Indian jujubes, papayas, and pineapples are also popular due to their auspicious connotations.
the Taichung Fruit and Vegetable Market has indicated, to meet the demands during the Spring Festival, they has requested all suppliers to ensure an ample supply of high-quality agricultural products before the festival. Additionally, to prevent any surplus inventory, the company will reinforce relevant practices starting from February 5. All staff will begin work one hour earlier, and the auctioning of vegetables will commence at 3:00 a.m. instead of 3:30 a.m. Moreover, the negotiation for vegetable auctions will be extended from 5 to 8 p.m. to alleviate the pressures of supplying and selling.
The Agriculture Bureau emphasized that before the Spring Festival, the city government’s personnel will visit each wholesale markets to assess the supply situation and encourage market surveillance to prevent price manipulation. Wholesale markets are also implementing flexible supply volume control to ensure a steady supply of agricultural products during the festival. Furthermore, the Butcher Shop(肉品市場) has made efforts to allocate pork supply. The Da'an Butcher Shop recently saw around 1,700 to 1,900 pigs auctioned daily at an average price of NT$89.7 per kilogram. All domestically produced pork products in the wholesale markets undergo rigorous checks by veterinarians at legal slaughterhouses to ensure food safety, allowing consumers to confidently support Taichung's pig farming community by consuming domestically produced fresh pork or processed products.
According to the Da'an Meat Market, as the Spring Festival approaches, they have begun early maintenance of auction, slaughtering, and wastewater equipment. They've also increased staff presence and started auctions an hour earlier to ensure smooth market operations before the festival.
The Taichung Butcher Shop added that they are gradually transitioning and plan to introduce Taiwan's first carcass grading system and employ cold chain during auctions to provide fresher and higher-quality pork. They appreciate everyone's assistance and patience and look forward to offering a more modernized meat trading platform soon.

Contact person: Mr. Yu, Agriculture Bureau of Taichung City Government, 04-22289111, ext. 56517