July 12, 2007

Taiwan aims to expand pig insurance programme to all pigs farms

Taiwan is expanding a pig insurance programme aimed at preventing farmers from selling pork from pigs which have died from diseases. 

Taiwan's Council of Agriculture (COA) announced Tuesday that it will expand the scope of the death insurance programme as it is seeing results.

Hog farmers in 22 cities and counties in Taiwan proper were now to be covered under the insurance programme, with the government paying 70 per cent of the premiums and the hog farmers paying the remaining 30 per cent.

The COA aims to cover all 5.7 million head of hogs in the 22 cities and counties by the end of this year. About 3.15 million hogs in 10 cities and counties were insured last year, with policies renewed this year on 2.73 million head.

When buying an insurance policy, all hogs on the farms must be insured. Farmers must take the dead hogs to a designated location as proof of his loss when filing a claim.