TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei's wholesale fruit and vegetable market recorded a significant spike in prices, with average costs climbing to NT$46.6 per kilogram (about US$1.59 per kilogram) on Wednesday (July 16), according to data released by Taipei's Market Administration Office (市場處), the municipal agency overseeing market operations. The current figure represents a substantial NT$7.2 jump from the previous rate of NT$39.4 per kilogram (about US$1.34 per kilogram) recorded before the market's temporary closure on July 13.
Officials attributed the sharp price increase to the aftermath of Typhoon Danas (丹娜絲), which swept across Taiwan in early July. The storm inflicted considerable damage to agricultural areas in the central and southern regions, while persistent heavy rainfall has further diminished crop yields throughout these key growing zones, triggering significant price volatility.
To combat the rising costs, the Market Administration Office has directed the Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Company (台北農產公司), a state-owned enterprise that manages agricultural product distribution in the capital region, to launch an eight-day price stabilization program. The initiative, running from July 17 to 24, will release approximately 50 metric tons of vegetables at controlled prices to moderate market inflation.
The stabilization program will distribute vegetables through supermarkets across Greater Taipei, offering 11 essential produce items at fixed prices. These include leafy greens at NT$29 (US$0.99) per bunch, beefsteak tomatoes at NT$52 (US$1.77) per box, and Japanese yams at NT$178 (US$6.07) each. Other items include domestic potatoes, imported onions, baby corn, imported radishes, traceable carrots, Korean cabbage, imported broccoli, and premium king oyster mushrooms.
(At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$29.3)