Taiwan is “highly likely” to be recognized as free from classical swine fever (CSF) by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) in May, allowing Taiwan pork to return to the international market, the Ministry of Agriculture said today.
Taiwan applied to the WOAH for recognition as CSF-free in August last year, after long-term monitoring and rigorous evaluation of pig health in Taiwan.
The WOAH’s Scientific Committee recommended Taiwan’s approval as free from the disease on Feb. 20, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency (APHIA) Director-General Hsu Jung-pin (徐榮彬) said.
Photo: Taipei Times
As long as no member countries raise objections during the following 60-day comment period, the approval would be passed at the annual WOAH meeting in May, Hsu said.
It is “highly likely” to pass, as any objections from other countries must be supported by scientific evidence, Hsu said.
Japanese businesses have shown interest in importing Taiwanese pork, ministry Department of International Affairs Deputy Director Hung Hsiao-chun (洪曉君) said.
Negotiations with Japan on quarantine conditions are expected to take place in the second half of this year, after which businesses would be able to export pork to Japan, Hung said.
CSF is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease that poses a significant threat to the pork industry, the APHIA said.
Since eradicating the last case in 2005, Taiwan has implemented multiple measures to control CSF, including vaccination, monitoring and strengthening biosecurity, the agency said.
Taiwan stopped implementing the vaccine in July 2023 and continued to assess whether the disease is no longer present in Taiwan, it said.
Measures including on-site inspections, emergency vaccine reserves and border quarantine controls have strengthened CSF prevention, it added.
Following Taiwan’s application for CSF-free recognition, the WOAH found Taiwan’s quarantine strategies and monitoring data complied with the Terrestrial Animal Health Code.
If Taiwan successfully receives the CSF-free WOAH recognition in May, it would become the first country in Asia to be officially free of all three major swine diseases: CSF, African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease, the ministry said.
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