By Valentine Uchechukwu Ndukwu
Taiwan has confirmed cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) after several dead pigs were found on a farm in Taichung.
The government says it will report the outbreak to the World Organization for Animal Health and share information with other countries, including China, to show full transparency.
Authorities have started disinfecting farms and vehicles across the country, inspecting more than 5,000 farms, including over 4,000 pig farms.
To stop the disease from spreading, Taiwan has banned pig slaughtering for five days and stopped feeding pigs food waste for fifteen days.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Tu Wen-jane, is leading the response team, with former Health Minister Chen Shih-chung who helped Taiwan through the COVID-19 pandemic also joining the team.
The government says the situation is under control but warns it must stay ASF-free for three months to regain its disease-free status.
However, the outbreak has quickly turned political. The opposition Pan-Blue camp, led by the Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), is being blamed for cutting the border inspection budget by 20 million New Taiwan Dollars earlier this year.
Critics say the cuts weakened border checks and may have allowed the disease to enter the country. TPP chairman Huang Kuo-chang has denied the claim, insisting the cuts didn’t affect disease control.
Meanwhile, Taichung’s mayor, Lu Shiow-yen, is under fire for poor handling of the crisis and unlicensed inspectors.
As Taiwan fights to contain the virus, the outbreak has reignited larger political debates from government spending and accountability to the treatment of farmers and long-term pension reforms.
The government insists it’s focused on protecting Taiwan’s pig industry and preventing further economic damage.
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