Death during transport would be included in compulsory swine death insurance from Nov. 1 to ensure the safety of domestically produced pork, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday, adding that premiums and benefits would not change.
Compulsory swine death insurance regulations came into force on May 1, 2021, requiring all registered livestock farm operators and unregistered pig farmers to get insurance for at least 80 percent of their pigs, the Taiwan Agricultural Insurance Fund said.
It is the first policy-driven compulsory agriculture insurance scheme in Taiwan, with its coverage rate reaching 100 percent by the end of last year, it said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Data from the fund showed that about 12.6 million pigs nationwide had death insurance last year, but only 832,974 pigs, or about 6.6 percent, had insurance for death during transport over the same period.
The current swine transportation insurance premium per pig ranges from NT$9 to NT$43, depending on the insurance level and transport distance, with 50 percent of the premium subsidized by the ministry and the other half paid by pig farmers, the fund said.
Given that most swine transportation insurance policy holders are local farmers’ associations, many pigs that are not transported via the farmers’ association system have yet to be insured against death during transport, it said.
The ministry yesterday said the optional transportation insurance would be incorporated into the compulsory swine death insurance policy from Nov. 1 to enhance the swine insurance scheme.
The transportation insurance would cover the risk of accidental death during the transport of pigs from farms to meat markets or to slaughterhouses, it said.
That means the insurance coverage would be effective if a pig dies before the ownership of the pig is transferred, the ministry said.
The new measure is expected to lessen pig farmers’ operational risk and prevent the illegal use of dead pigs, as well as ensure the safety of domestically produced pork, it said.
Pig farmers are encouraged to apply for the new insurance policy from local farmers’ associations from next month, without having to bear extra insurance premiums, the ministry said.
The premium subsidies and claim-free benefits offered by the government would also remain the same, it added.
Specifically, the premium would be fully subsidized for farms with 500 pigs or fewer, while a 50 to 80 percent subsidy would be given to those with more than 500 pigs, the ministry said.
The death benefit would be NT$750 per pig for pigs weighing from 40kg to 50kg and NT$1,800 per pig for those weighing more than 50kg, it added.
Data from the fund showed that the compulsory swine insurance premium is NT$32.4 per pig and the out-of-pocket cost by pig farmers ranges from NT$0 to NT$16.2, given the subsidies.
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