
Egg prices went up again on Monday to reach a wholesale rate of NT$55 per 600 grams. It’s the second price hike in just about a month, as eggs remain scarce in Taiwan. That’s despite the first two batches of a government order having already arrived from Australia. A total of 5 million Australian eggs are scheduled to arrive before the end of the month, but with shelves island-wide still empty, the government says it will procure eggs from other places as well.
It’s 6 a.m. but already, a long line has formed outside this egg shop.
At 7:20, the shop finally opens. It’s out of regular white-shelled eggs and brown-shelled eggs, however. The only ones available are special and pricier varieties. But in just one hour, they are all gone.
Member of public
I haven’t bought any eggs for a week. I’m considering raising my own hens.
Ms. Wang
Egg seller
Sourcing these eggs was really difficult. I needed 400 boxes, but I had to go ask around to get 300 of them. People are always lining up. I tell them not to, but they still stand in line. I had no choice but to sell the eggs meant for businesses. But then there were no eggs for the businesses and I got yelled at by my boss.
Avian flu, rising feed prices and poor weather have brought farm prices up. Last March, 600 grams of eggs cost NT$36.5. That price went up by NT$2 in February, and now, on March 6, it’s gone up again, by NT$3. That’s two hikes in just about a month. Wholesale egg prices now stand at NT$55 per 600 grams.
Chen Chiu-chih
Egg farmer
Distributors have come to try and snatch some eggs. They got 12 kilograms of white-shelled eggs for NT$1,300. And think about it, if they go to Taipei, they could sell them for at least NT$1,400 or NT$1,500. I think this egg shortage nightmare will drag on for at least a year.
Chen Chi-chung
Council of Agriculture
We respect the outcome of both market mechanisms. We will continue to bring in eggs as quickly as possible from other areas. We’ll also look for eggs for egg processing firms.
Taiwan has placed an order of 5 million eggs from Australia. The first two batches, totaling 720,000 eggs have already reached Taiwan, and four more batches are scheduled for March. The Council of Agriculture says it will import eggs from other countries as well to get through the shortage.
"蛋蛋危機"持續燒!中央從澳洲先後進口兩批、共72萬顆蛋應急還是不夠,彰化蛋農說,不少業者直衝產地搶蛋,產地、市場價格已失衡;而雞蛋批發價2月中才漲2元、批發價52元,過不到一個月,今天起再漲3元、批發價每台斤來到55元。農委會主委陳吉仲表示,尊重市場機制,3月底前會從澳洲進口500萬顆雞蛋,後續也會陸續進口其他國家蛋補足缺口。
清晨6點多,蛋行門口已經排滿人潮。
7點20準時開賣,結果白蛋、紅蛋都缺貨,只有價格比較高的特殊蛋,短短一個小時,通通售罄。
[[民眾]]
“我一個禮拜都沒買到蛋,我在想是不是自己要養雞了”
[[蛋行業者 王小姐]]
“我們也是調蛋調得很辛苦,我要四百多箱,要調三百多箱,很多客人都是一直排隊,叫他們不要排隊還一直排,我沒辦法只好拿店家的分給他們,最後店家沒蛋,我又要被老闆罵”
受到禽流感、飼料漲價、天候影響,國內雞蛋產地價從去年3月產地價從原本每台斤36.5元一路漲,今年2月中再漲2元,3月6號再漲3元,一個月內兩度調漲,批發價來到55元再創新高。
[[蛋農 陳秋池]]
“通路商來我們產地搶蛋,已經搶到白蛋20斤1300元,他買到1300元,你想他去到台北要賣多少,起碼要賣1400元到1500元,缺蛋的噩夢會持續,以我的看法要持續一年以上”
[[農委會主委 陳吉仲]]
“尊重雙方的市場機制運作結果,我們陸續還會從其他地區,盡快的來補足缺口,加工的部分我們會再調度”
為了解決蛋荒,中央從澳洲進口500萬顆蛋,前兩批72萬顆已經運抵,三月底前還有四批應急,農委會強調,接下來還會從其他國家進口,解決燃眉之急。
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