TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Acting Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih emphasized on Wednesday (Nov. 22) that the pig farming industry is vital to Taiwan, with over 3 million people involved and an annual value exceeding NT＄150 billion, thus making quarantine stations essential.
Chen highlighted Taiwan's strategic efforts to remain free of African swine fever, joining Japan as the only place in Asia without the disease. "These preventative measures have proven successful and are critical to protecting the local industry and economy," he added.
He pointed out that pork is a crucial source of protein for the Taiwanese people and that compromising the industry to accommodate foreign travelers would be unjustifiable.
As over 5,000 pig farms are operating in Taiwan, the industry's importance is clear, with a domestic value of NT＄80 billion and a total industry chain value of over NT＄150 billion, Chen stressed.
Chen's comments came after reports indicating the implementation of manual inspection stations for African swine fever at the Taoyuan International Airport caused the drastic fall of its Skytrax ranking from 13th in 2019 to 82nd in 2023.
