Taiwan’s declaration that it has eliminated African swine fever within its borders has been recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health, according to Taiwan Today.
Detailed materials were submitted to the WOAH in July, and the organisation added Taiwan to the list of self-declared ASF-free locations.
The Ministry of Agriculture said the country now joins Japan in being the only East Asian nations to have successfully stamped out the virus. Since its outbreak in 2018, Taiwan has ramped up laboratory testing to conduct nationwide inspections.
After multiple investigations and discussions with experts, the government confirmed that there is no trace of ASF on livestock farms or in the wild, the ministry said.
With WOAH’s acknowledgment, Taiwan has become more competitive in the global pork supply chain. Domestic pork is currently exported to the Philippines, and the government is actively working to tap into the Malaysia and Singapore markets.
Taiwan has additionally received WOAH recognition for eliminating foot-and-mouth disease and hoped to obtain classic swine fever-free status in May 2025, with an application already being filed with the organisation, the MOA said.
