Taipei: Multiple eateries in Changhua County are facing potential temporary closures following the Ministry of Agriculture’s (MOA) announcement of disease control measures to curb a suspected domestic African swine fever (ASF) outbreak.
According to Focus Taiwan, the controls were implemented after pigs on a farm in Taichung, central Taiwan, tested positive for the virus, with 117 pig deaths reported from October 10 to 20. The MOA’s measures include a nationwide ban on the transport and slaughter of pigs for at least five days and a prohibition on using kitchen waste as pig feed.
Eatery owners in Changhua, who rely on freshly slaughtered pork for their signature ba-wan and braised pork rice dishes, anticipate a shortage of supply due to the slaughter ban. Some are hopeful that the government will provide assistance during this challenging time. Ba-wan, a well-known Taiwanese dish, consists of a translucent dumpling made of starch and rice flour, filled with meat and vegetables, and is particularly popular in Changhua.
In Pingtung County, which hosts the largest number of domestic pig farms, there is also considerable concern about the government’s restrictions. Fang Chih-yuan, chairperson of the Pingtung Black Pig Farming Association, highlighted the difficulty in estimating losses due to the uncertain future of the policies. The ban on kitchen waste as pig feed could significantly impact black pig breeders, who already face higher feed costs due to the longer time required to raise black pigs compared to white pigs.
Fang expressed support for banning kitchen waste but argued that butchery scraps from non-infectious sources should be allowed to avoid discouraging farmers and potentially causing the black pig market to collapse. A butcher, identified only by his surname Yang, shared concerns about the indefinite extension of transport and slaughter bans, adding to the industry’s worries.
