The ban on feeding pigs kitchen waste would not be lifted until inspections of pig farms are completed and a legislation is put in place, Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) said yesterday.
The government lifted the ban on transporting pigs yesterday, and slaughtering and trading hogs today, as there has been no proof that the African swine fever (ASF) from the affected farm in Taichung has spread, he said.
Some fresh pork could be available at evening traditional markets today, but more would likely be available at tomorrow’s morning markets, Chen said.
Photo: CNA
The nearly 390,000 pigs held up during the bans are expected to be consumed by March next year, he said.
The ministry would monitor pork prices and volume at meat markets, and help distribute excess pork to the frozen pork supply chain to ensure stable prices, he added.
The Taichung farm still tested positive for ASF yesterday, despite disinfection by the Chemical Corps, Chen said.
Veterinary Research Institute Director-General Deng Ming-chung (鄧明中) said samples were collected from the entrance of the farm, the floor where the fridge is placed and the pig nursery.
Chen said further testing is needed to confirm whether the virus is still active enough to cause an infection, adding that cleaning and disinfection of the farm would continue until samples test negative for ASF.
Feeding pigs kitchen waste is still prohibited, as inappropriately steamed leftovers were found to be the main cause of the ASF outbreak, he said.
The ban would not be relaxed until the 434 pig farms that use such feed nationwide are inspected and equipped with real-time monitoring systems, Chen said.
The inspections are to be conducted over the next two weeks, he said, adding that the ministry would also establish stricter penalties for improper kitchen waste steaming before lifting the ban.
Farmers who feed pigs kitchen waste during the period would be banned from transporting pigs and could have their operating license revoked, Chen said.
Asked what would happen to the ASF-affected farm, Chen said experts’ opinions would be compiled and given to the city government after samples from the farm test negative for the virus.
Data from the central ASF response unit showed that the 3,915 samples collected from pig farms nationwide — excluding the affected farm — and the 1,652 samples from the carcass transport vehicles of the nation’s eight rendering plants tested negative for ASF.
US President Donald Trump said "it’s up to" Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) what China does on Taiwan, but that he would be "very unhappy" with a change in the "status quo," the New York Times said in an interview published yesterday. Xi "considers it to be a part of China, and that’s up to him what he’s going to be doing," Trump told the newspaper on Wednesday. "But I’ve expressed to him that I would be very unhappy if he did that, and I don’t think he’ll do that," he added. "I hope he doesn’t do that." Trump made the comments in
NOT AN OPENING: Trump’s violation of international law does not affect China’s consideration in attacking Taiwan; Beijing lacks capability, not precedent, an official said Taiwanese officials see the US’ capture of the president of Venezuela as a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s aggression and a timely reminder of the US’ ability to defeat militaries equipped with Chinese-made weapons. The strikes that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signaled to authoritarian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), US President Donald Trump’s willingness to use military might for international affairs core to US interests, one senior official in Taipei’s security circle said. That reassured Taiwan, the person said. Taipei has also dismissed the idea that Trump’s apparent violation of international law could embolden Beijing, said the official, who was not
A cold surge advisory was today issued for 18 cities and counties across Taiwan, with temperatures of below 10°C forecast during the day and into tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. New Taipei City, Taipei, Taoyuan and Hsinchu, Miaoli and Yilan counties are expected to experience sustained temperatures of 10°C or lower, the CWA said. Temperatures are likely to temporarily drop below 10°C in most other areas, except Taitung, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, CWA data showed. The cold weather is being caused by a strong continental cold air mass, combined with radiative cooling, a process in which heat escapes from
Snow this morning fell on Alishan for the first time in seven years, as a strong continental cold air mass sent temperatures plunging across Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The Alishan weather station, located at an elevation of about 2,200m in central Taiwan, recorded snowfall from 8:55am to 9:15am, when the temperature dropped to about 1°C, the CWA said. With increased moisture and low temperatures in the high-altitude Alishan area, the conditions were favorable for snow, CWA forecaster Tsai Yi-chi (蔡伊其) said. The last time snow fell at the Alishan weather station was on Jan. 10, 2018, while graupel fell there
RSS