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Taiwan Quick Take

■ Crime
Piglet-nappers at large
One hundred and seventy piglets were stolen from two pig farms early yesterday morning in Hsinkang Village, Chiayi County, a source from the Chiayi Hog Raisers Association said. The stolen piglets are only a few weeks old, and each weighs only about 8kg, according to the source. He said that because hog raisers in the county have on many occasions in recent months reported piglets being stolen, the association has offered NT$100,000 (US$2,900) reward for information leading to the arrest of the thieves. More than 100 piglets were stolen from a farm in the same village late last month.

■ Health
Temperature checks begin
Health authorities on Kinmen yesterday began to check the temperature of visitors by using infra-red thermal imaging machines as part of efforts to prevent a re-emergence of SARS. The temperature of each passenger leaving Kinmen for China or entering Kinmen from China will be checked by the two infra-red thermal imaging machines installed at Shuitou Port, officials of the Center for Disease Control's Kinmen office said. The officials said that if an out-bound passenger is discovered to have a temperature higher than 38 degrees, the health authorities will advise the passenger not to board a vessel to China. If an in-bound passenger from Fujian Province is found to have a temperature higher than 38 degrees, the passenger wil be given several surgical masks and required to take their own temperature daily and report it by telephone to authorities for at least 10 days.

■ Health
AIDS villages planned
The government plans to build three "AIDS villages" for people with HIV and AIDS to prevent them from suffering discrimination from family members and neighbors, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) said yesterday. "HIV carriers and AIDS patients do not have to live in the shadows. They should be allowed to live openly. So we plan to build AIDS villages in north, central and south Taiwan where they can live openly," Lu said at an event show-casing the government's achievements in fighting AIDS to mark World AIDS Day. AIDS-prevention activist Chi Chia-wei (祁家威) welcomed Lu's proposal, but said it would be hard to carry out as local residents would likely oppose the establishment of an AIDS village in their neighborhood. There are 5,464 recorded cases of HIV in the country and 904 AIDS-related deaths.

■ Agriculture
CETRA appeals to Japan
The Taipei-based China External Trade Development Council (CETRA) will try to promote Taiwan's agricultural products in Japan, the head of the council said yesterday. CETRA chairman Hsu Chih-jen (許志仁) said he is optimistic because the quality of Taiwan's agricultural products is high and the prices are competitive, adding that Japanese consumers like to buy Taiwan's agricultural products. Hsu said CETRA will continue to hold exhibitions of agricultural products in Japanese cities, as well as establish agricultural product promotion centers in Tokyo and Osaka. He added that certain Japanese vegetable importers and shopping centers have shown a keen interest in Taiwanese vegetables and fruits.

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