Taiwan would resume fresh pork exports in the second half of this year if the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) declares it a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)- free country where vaccination is not practiced, the Council of Agriculture (COA) said on Monday.
After passing various tests and verification, the nation expects to receive notification from the OIE of its FMD-free without vaccination status in the middle of this month, the council said.
That would make Taiwan one of only two Asian countries other than Japan with that status, it said.
Photo: Yang Chin-cheng, Taipei Times
This also means it could start exporting fresh pork as early as the second half of this year, with Singapore expected to be the first market, COA Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) has said.
Taiwan currently exports only certain processed pork products to a handful of nations, the council said.
A major outbreak of FMD in 1997 dealt a huge blow to Taiwan’s pork industry, costing it export orders of NT$60 billion (US$2 billion) a year.
The biggest animal epidemic in the nation’s agricultural history led to the culling of 4 million pigs and prompted it to start a vaccination program.
Taiwan started a program to terminate FMD inoculation on July 1, 2018, and after a full year of no infections reported, it applied in July last year to the OIE for FMD-free status.
It then submitted an application to the OIE later last year for recognition as an FMD-free country where vaccination is not practiced.
The OIE is likely to formally notify Taiwan later this month after completing all required procedures, the council said.
Taiwan’s pig farming industry had an output value of NT$70.9 billion last year, council data showed.
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