TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA, 農業部) imposed an immediate one-week ban Tuesday (June 18) on all porcine exports from Kinmen (金門), a Taiwanese-controlled island located just kilometers from China's coastline. The emergency trade restriction follows the alarming discovery of a pig carcass carrying the highly contagious African swine fever virus, which washed ashore on a Kinmen beach last week, raising fears of potential contamination of the island's pig population.
The Central Disaster Response Center for African Swine Fever (非洲豬瘟中央災害應變中心), Taiwan's specialized agency for managing the livestock disease threat, confirmed the infection through sophisticated PCR testing, revealing a disturbing genetic match. Laboratory analysis determined the virus strain shares 100% genetic similarity with the second genotype of African swine fever currently circulating in China, strongly suggesting cross-strait contamination. Local officials have conducted emergency inspections of the 25 pig farms operating within a 10-kilometer radius of the discovery site, where approximately 5,500 pigs are housed, and have reported no clinical signs of infection among the animals thus far.
This latest incident adds to a troubling pattern of contamination, with officials documenting a total of 19 African swine fever-infected pig carcasses recovered from Taiwan's surrounding waters since monitoring began. The geographical distribution reveals a concentration around outlying islands, with 16 cases in Kinmen County, two in Lienchiang County (also known as Matsu Islands), and one discovered near the metropolitan area of New Taipei City. Agricultural authorities have issued urgent warnings against complacency, stressing the critical importance of enhanced border quarantine protocols and imploring Taiwan's pig farmers to maintain rigorous biosecurity practices to protect the island's NT$80 billion (approximately US$2.7 billion) pork industry. ◼
