Comprehensive ASF containment plan to safeguard Taiwan's pork industry

At Thursday's weekly Cabinet meeting, Premier Cho Jung-tai received a report from the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) on the response and follow-up prevention measures concerning a suspected African swine fever (ASF) case. The premier said that after China reported Asia's first ASF case on August 3, 2018, Taiwan's government promptly responded by strengthening prevention efforts across all fronts-from border controls to domestic biosecurity measures-and, with the joint efforts of the public, successfully kept ASF from reaching the island's shores. However, on October 21, 2025, samples from pig carcasses collected by the Taichung City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office tested positive for ASF. Following this, Premier Cho swiftly directed the MOA and other relevant ministries and agencies to implement the appropriate emergency response mechanisms.

The premier likened disease prevention to waging a battle, calling on all levels of government to maintain the strictest discipline and highest safety standards. In addition to a thorough review of all key aspects of the disease prevention system to identify any lapses, the government has temporarily suspended the feeding of food waste to pigs and is implementing an active and effective containment plan to minimize the impact of the incident. He also stressed that counties and cities near the outbreak site must conduct comprehensive epidemiological investigations to help determine the source of the suspected case.

The premier said that the central government has set up a forward operations post in Taichung to monitor the front-line situation of the suspected outbreak and efficiently coordinate response measures, with the goal of closing any gaps in containment as quickly as possible. He directed all relevant ministries and agencies-including the MOA, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of the Interior, Ocean Affairs Council, Mainland Affairs Council and Ministry of Labor-to fully mobilize in the fight against the disease. He also instructed them to strengthen public communication about the ongoing containment policy and to provide accurate information, ensuring that the public understands the government is taking rigorous action to halt any potential outbreak and will not allow contaminated pork from deceased swine to enter the market.

Premier Cho emphasized that at this juncture, all ministries, agencies and local governments must work hand in hand to carry out response measures. Only through such joint efforts, he said, can a robust and comprehensive disease prevention network be established to minimize the potential impact of the animal disease.