Taiwan egg wholesalers decry the price freeze and threaten to close market

Taipei, March 19 (CNA) A group of wholesale egg suppliers in Taipei is threatening to stop sales "indefinitely" if Taiwan's Poultry Association (TPA) extends the current price freeze next week, amid a domestic shortage. A decision made Saturday by a TPA production and marketing supervision committee to freeze the wholesale price of domestically produced chicken eggs this week is not sustainable and will hurt egg farmers and suppliers, the group said without elaborating. Currently, the wholesale price of eggs in Taiwan is NT$55 (US$1.79) per catty (600 grams), while the farm gate price is NT$45.5 per catty, the highest in many years, amid an egg shortage in the country that has been caused by avian flu epidemics, increased feed costs, and a high number of molting hens, according to government officials. Following Saturday's meeting held by the committee to review egg prices, one of the members said the decision to freeze wholesale prices was based on the fact that Taiwan is ...