Taichung: A ban on the transportation and slaughter of pigs imposed following an African swine fever outbreak in Taichung will be fully lifted at midnight Thursday, Taiwan’s Cabinet announced.

According to Focus Taiwan, Cabinet Spokesperson Michelle Lee, citing Premier Cho Jung-tai, stated that an investigation by the Central Emergency Operations Center for African Swine Fever discovered the infections were limited to a single farm in Taichung. It was determined that the virus originated from improperly cooked food waste.

As the infections had not extended to other areas, the Central Emergency Operations Center for African Swine Fever decided to lift the ban on the transportation of live pigs, which had been in effect since October 22, at noon Thursday, as per the premier’s statement. Concurrently, the bans on the transportation and trading of pork products will be rescinded at midnight Thursday.

Premier Cho urged local governments to ensure that slaughterhouses, vehicles, and butcher stands within their jurisdictions are thoroughly disinfected before the resumption of pork trading, Lee reported.

Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih highlighted that the prohibition on feeding pigs swill will persist until several prerequisites are satisfied, including a nationwide inspection of 434 pig farms practicing this method. The inspection process is anticipated to last two weeks, with farms being required to install real-time monitoring equipment to record temperature and capture images. The central government will offer subsidies for acquiring this equipment.

Chen also mentioned that the regulations need revision to better outline the disease prevention duties of pig farm operators and enforce stricter penalties for noncompliance. The Ministry of Agriculture will review the progress bi-weekly and will only permit the practice to resume once the necessary improvements are implemented. Furthermore, pig farmers will receive subsidies for purchasing feed, the minister confirmed.