This stinks: Garlic farmers claim malpractice over import of ‘Chinese’ produce

The Taiwan Garlic Farmers’ Association (台灣蒜農協會) and Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬) blasted Kaohsiung Customs on Wednesday for clearing the import of crates allegedly containing barred Chinese garlic mixed with Thai produce. Association members and Su filed charges of malpractice against the customs unit at Yunlin District Prosecutors Office on Tuesday morning, accusing it of approving the import of 80 tons of China-grown black garlic mixed with Thai garlic. At Wednesday’s press conference, Kaohsiung Customs official Kao Ching-hsiang confirmed that two of the three crates in question, which had been waiting to be collected for a week, had been picked up by their owners Tuesday night.