Taiwan legislator blames government for tanking cabbage prices
Across Taiwan, restaurants and consumers stopped buying the vegetable as the price had increased more than 500%. A head of cabbage that normally fetches around NT$40 was sold for NT$200 to NT$300 last September and October.
To correct the low supply, and to take advantage of the market, businesses had increased their import of cabbages and farmers increased production. With more cabbages on the market, prices collapsed like an avalanche, and now one head is worth as little as NT$10 — less than 10 percent of last year's high.
Last year, they had nothing to sell when the prices were high; now, they are stuck with cabbages they will probably sell without a profit or even at a loss.
Kuomintang Legislator, Chang Li-shan, has criticized the government for failing to curb cabbage price by monitoring the import and planting of the vegetable. She pointed out that after the price of cabbage skyrocketed, farmers dedicated over 300 hectares to the crop, far more than the typical 180 hectares.
source: chinapost.com.tw
