Taiwan’s government has lifted its ban on the transport and slaughter of pigs following an African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in Taichung.
Cabinet Spokesperson Michelle Lee said that the Central Emergency Operations Center confirmed the infection was limited to a single farm.
“The virus was traced to a single source—food waste that had not been properly cooked,” Ms Lee said, quoting Premier Cho Jung-tai.
Since the outbreak did not spread, the government lifted the live pig transport ban at noon on November 6. Pork product trading resumed at midnight.
Premier Cho urged local governments to ensure slaughterhouses, vehicles, and butcher stalls within their jurisdictions are properly disinfected before trading resumes.
Food waste feeding ban remains in place
Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih said the ban on feeding pigs with food waste will remain until key conditions are met.
These include:
- ✅ A nationwide inspection of all farms using food waste
- ✅ Installation of real-time temperature monitoring and video surveillance equipment
- ✅ Passage of legal amendments to strengthen oversight and penalties
The inspection is expected to take two weeks. Mr Chen said the government will subsidize the cost of monitoring equipment and provide feed subsidies to affected farmers.
Chen Junne-jih
He added that the ministry will review progress every two weeks. Only farms meeting all requirements may resume food waste feeding.
Moreover, while substantial progress is still needed before lifting the ban entirely, the government might allow individual farms that meet the requirements to resume using food waste as feed.
Penalties for violators
Mr Chen also warned that farms violating the food waste ban face fines and risk losing their operating licenses.
His comments followed the discovery of two farms in New Taipei’s Linkou district feeding pigs with food waste. The farms were fined USD 66,500, stripped of subsidies, faced movement restrictions, and were banned from selling their pork products.
New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih urged farmers to comply with existing regulations to help the industry recover. The city ordered the destruction of recovered food waste and sealed the farms’ heat-treatment equipment to prevent further use.
Industry voices and outlook
The Young Pig Farmers’ Association called for a permanent ban on food waste, calling its usage “a major weakness” in Taiwan’s fight against ASF.
However, black pig farmers opposed a permanent ban, warning it could reduce market share and raise production costs.
Pingtung Black Pig Farming Association Chairman Fang Chih-yuan said that because black pigs grow slowly, farmers rely on food waste to keep costs down.
He urged the government to establish food waste processing centers, warning of landfill risks and limited incinerator capacity.
Mr Fang supports banning household food waste but argued that plant- and animal-based waste should still be permitted to help sustain black pig farming.
Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming said Taiwan’s food waste treatment capacity falls short by 500 tons daily. He estimated it will take 1-2 years to close the gap.