July 13, 2020

Taiwan resumes pork exports to Macau

Taiwan will resume exports of fresh pork to Macau, prohibited for 24 years after it has declared free of food-and-mouth disease without vaccination in June, Taiwan News reported.

Huang Chin-cheng, Taiwan's Council of Agriculture (COA), deputy minister said products made from 200 swine will be shipped to Macau weekly.

The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) had declared Taiwan free offood-and-mouth disease without vaccination on June 16. Following the declaration, the COA has begun export negotiations with countries in southeast Asia and Japan.

Huang said Singapore is projected to make orders from Taiwan, but this is pending an inspection which has been delayed due to COVID-19.

Huang said Macau agreed to import 200 swine worth of meat weekly from Taiwanese farms for its casinos. 550 kg of frozen pork was delivered to Macau by flight on July 10 as a trial.

Taiwan's pork exports halted in 1997 after food-and-mouth disease outbeak. In 2003, the OIE declared Taiwan free offood-and-mouth disease but vaccination was still practiced. Taiwan only ended the food-and-mouth disease programme this year.

-      Taiwan News