War affects agriculture: lawmakersBy Jason Pan / Staff reporter, with CNASeveral Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday urged the government to take measures to stabilize the cost of packaging materials made of petrochemical products and prevent hoarding, saying that the war in the Middle East has impacted Taiwanese farmers negatively. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei TimesThe price volatility of petrochemical materials triggered by the war in the Middle East caused shortages and price hikes of plastic bags, containers and other materials used in packaging of farm produce, Tsai said. Lai called on the Ministry of Agriculture to coordinate with major wholesale centers to develop alternating packaging such as cardboard boxes for some fruits and vegetables. The government must ensure that the supply of petrochemical materials is stable, and inspect distributors and retailers to fight hoarding, she said. The MOEA has established a dedicated hotline at 02-2701-1669, extension lines from 105 to 107, for reporting hoarding and unfair pricing hikes, he added.

Source: Taipei Times March 25, 2026 17:13 UTC