November 10, 2025
Taiwan ends ASF-related ban on pig transport and slaughter
A ban on the transportation and slaughter of pigs imposed following an African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in Taichung, Taiwan, ended last week, Taiwan's Cabinet said on November 6.
At a news conference, cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee, citing Premier Cho Jung-tai, said that a probe by the Central Emergency Operations Center for African Swine Fever found that the ASF infections were confined to a single farm in Taichung.
"The virus was traced to a single source — food waste that had not been properly cooked," Lee quoted the premier as saying.
As the infections had not spread to other areas, the Central Emergency Operations Center for African Swine Fever decided to lift a ban on the transportation of live pigs in place since October 22, at noon on November 6, according to the premier.
Bans on the transportation and trading of pork products, meanwhile, were set to be lifted at midnight on the same day.
The premier called on local governments to ensure that slaughterhouses, vehicles, and butcher stands within their jurisdictions are properly disinfected before pork trading resumes, Lee said.
Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih said the ban on feeding pigs swill will remain in place until several conditions are met, including a nationwide inspection of 434 pig farms that adopt the practice.
The inspection is expected to take two weeks, with farms required to install real-time monitoring equipment to record temperature and capture images, Chen said.
The central government will subsidise the acquisition of this equipment, he added.
Chen said that regulations also need to be updated to better define the disease prevention responsibilities of pig farm operators and to introduce stricter penalties for noncompliance.
The Ministry of Agriculture will review progress every two weeks and only allow the practice to resume once the required improvements have been completed, Chen added.
Meanwhile, pig farmers will receive subsidies for purchasing feed, according to the minister.
- Focus Taiwan
