Feathers Fly as Taiwan Farmers Decry Imports

Angry poultry farmers threw 30 live chickens and dozens of eggs at a U.S. diplomatic office Monday during a protest against imported American turkeys.

The 3,000 farmers also took their protest to the Bureau of Foreign Trade, where they pelted a senior government official with eggs.

During the demonstration outside the American Institute in Taiwan, farmers shouted “We don’t want U.S. turkeys!”

Farmers argue that chicken prices have fallen more than 50% in five months because the United States has made Taiwan a “dumping ground” for turkeys.

The protesters then went to the Bureau of Foreign Trade and threw eggs at Vincent Siew, the bureau’s director general, when he spoke with the farmers but failed to promise an immediate ban on turkey imports.

Siew told demonstrators that allowing U.S. turkey imports is part of a plan to help reduce Taiwan’s huge trade surplus with the United States, which Taipei said reached $16 billion last year.