Taiwan to help wax and custard apple growers after China import ban

Taipei, Sept. 19 (CNA) Taiwan's government will help local growers of wax apples and custard apples after China announced a halt on the imports of these fruits from Taiwan because of quarantine issues, Council of Agriculture (COA) chief Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) said Sunday. China only notified Taiwan about its decision, which takes effect on Monday, to suspend imports of wax apples and custard apples around 9 a.m. on Sunday, Chen of the Cabinet-level council said during a press conference. According to a notice issued by the Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine under China's General Administration of Customs on Saturday, the decision to suspend imports of the Taiwanese fruits came after Planococcus minor, a type of mealybug, was found in several shipments this year. To protect the fruit growers, the COA will adopt measures it had first used following China's ban on the imports of Taiwan pineapples earlier this year, including offering financial subsidies to affected farmers. The ...