TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Action Alliance on Basic Education (國教行動聯盟) urged the government on Thursday (Jan. 2) to revive the free domestic milk program for schoolchildren. They cited distribution planning issues as the main problem and suggested local governments coordinate the execution to ensure efficiency.
The alliance emphasized the importance of supplying 400cc of domestic milk twice weekly for children's health. They attributed the policy's failure not to a lack of parental support but to insufficient suppliers unable to meet demand, calling on the government to honor its commitment and restart the initiative.
The alliance insisted that future distribution and execution details should be managed by the government and professional entities, reducing teachers' administrative burdens and preventing past chaos. They stated that principals, teachers, and parents unanimously support the milk policy and advocate for its continuation to protect children's health and rights.
The Ministry of Agriculture (農業部) and Ministry of Education (教育部) launched the free domestic milk program in September 2024 to prepare for New Zealand dairy imports becoming tariff-free in 2025. However, due to challenges like schools lacking refrigeration facilities, the Executive Yuan (行政院) suspended the policy in Dec. 2024.