Taiwan pig farmers win reprieve on import ruling

TAIPEI, Aug 21 (Reuters) Thousands of Taiwan pig farmers descended on downtown Taipei today to protest against a relaxing of import standards, in the latest tug-of-war as the government attempts to dismantle agricultural trade barriers.

The farmers were protesting against the government's previously stated intention to permit small levels of the drug ractopamine, which promotes lean muscle development, easing a ban that had led to the rejection of some US pork last month.

Farmers said they feared that permitting US pork containing the residue was unfair and unsafe for consumers, while also increasing competition for local farmers.

The protestors won a reprieve from the government on a decision to ease the ban, with officials saying a decision would only be made pending further inter-agency reviews.

''This decision must be made after inter-departmental consultations and before any decision is made, no pork containing the drug residue will be permitted in,'' Hou Sheng-Mou, the minister of health, told swine representatives and lawmakers.

Around 2,000 farmers wearing straw hats and carrying placards reading ''Get out US pork'' and ''No ractopamine, no poison pork'' demonstrated outside the health department pelting the building with eggs.

''Prices have only recently rebounded after a long time in the doldrums, and now the government wants to allow more US imports? It's unacceptable,'' said Chiang Wen-tien, who works in the pork industry and made the trip up from central Taichung.

Hou's remarks echoed those of government spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey yesterday, when he said no decision would be made until the World Health Organization completes its review of ractopamine in September.

Other countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and Australia permit residue of the drug under 0.05 parts per million in meat, the health department has said.

Taiwan rejected 24 tonnes of US pork after detecting the prohibited drug in mid-July.

Most of Taiwan's pork is supplied domestically, although the United States is its largest source of imports, the USDA's Foreign Agriculture Service said.

The USDA last year forecast that Taiwan's pork imports would grow 9 per cent to 36,000 tonnes in 2007.

REUTERS SV DS1207