KAOHSIUNG (TVBS News) — Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) visited the Fengshan and Kaohsiung wholesale fruit and vegetable markets on Thursday (Jan. 16) to assess the supply of essential goods ahead of the Lunar New Year. Vendors reported that vegetable prices have stabilized, with some items cheaper compared to the same period last year.
Mayor Chen extended New Year greetings to vendors, suppliers, and citizens, distributing Year of the Snake couplets and red envelopes. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) legislators Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) and Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑) accompanied him in the celebrations. The atmosphere was lively, with Mayor Chen shaking hands and posing for photos with enthusiastic citizens.
The city's Agriculture Bureau (農業局) estimated that during the holiday, Kaohsiung's wholesale markets would supply 550 tons of fruits and 1,820 tons of vegetables. Fengshan's market will provide 651 tons of fruits and 690 tons of vegetables. Additionally, the Kaohsiung flower market will supply approximately 349,000 bundles of flowers, and the meat market will provide 3,200 pigs.
As Taiwan's largest jujube-producing area, Kaohsiung boasts over 715 hectares of cultivation. The favorable winter climate results in large, juicy jujubes. The "Kaohsiung First Choice E-commerce Platform" (高雄首選電商平台) has launched a special New Year gift section featuring premium jujube gift boxes and festive items, ideal for holiday gifts and rituals.
