TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an toured Yunlin County farms Monday (May 18) to inspect ingredients for the city's new free school lunch program. The program provides free meals to all elementary and junior high school students in Taipei. Chiang visited peanut, eel and tilapia farms in Yunlin, a major agricultural region.
Chiang wore a mask and gloves to select peanuts during the visit, experiencing the grading and packaging process. He stressed the importance of quality ingredients for school meals. Taipei consumes large quantities of peanuts, making Yunlin's agricultural output crucial for the city, Chiang said. The mayor also toured tilapia and eel farms.
The visit highlights concerns about food sourcing as Taipei implements its free lunch program for approximately 200,000 students. Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan said over 70% of Taiwan's peanuts come from Yunlin. Chang urged support for local farmers, warning that zero-tariff imports could harm the agricultural sector.
Legislator Chang Chia-chun proposed an amendment in the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's parliament, to include origin labeling in the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食安法). Chang praised Chiang's efforts and said she aims to learn from Taipei's example. Details of the amendment were not immediately available.