Premier Chen Chien-jen has accepted the resignation of Agriculture Minister
Chen Chi-chung.

Cabinet spokesman Lin Zi-lun says the premier accepted Chen's resignation
with effect from Thursday -- that's tomorrow -- and will name Deputy
Agriculture Minister Chen Jun-ji to lead the ministry on an acting basis.

The Cabinet spokesman says the premier has also accepted the resignation of
Lin Cong-xien, the chairman of the National Animal Industry Foundation.

The government-funded foundation will now select a new chair at its next
board of directors meeting.

The resignations come days after the agriculture minister admitted that at
least 54-million of the 145-million eggs imported by the government from
March to July were sent to be destroyed because they were past their best-by
dates.

That has led to accusations of financial waste.

The outgoing agriculture minister announced his resignation in a social media
post last night, as he cited controversy surrounding the government's egg
import program.

He still claims the controversy was caused not by the program itself, but in
the way it was characterized by critics.

The premier is set to give a report on the egg import program when a new
session of the Legislature opens on Friday.