Chiayi continues milk program despite national halt

CHIAYI (TVBS News) — Chiayi City Council (嘉義市議會) on Monday (Feb. 17) approved a budget to continue providing fresh milk free of charge to over 20,000 students.

The initiative aims to support the welfare of children and the domestic dairy industry amid the impact of zero tariffs on New Zealand milk imports, which began in 2025.

Starting next week, Chiayi City will supply fresh milk twice a week to 22,477 students across public kindergartens, elementary schools, and middle schools. Chiayi Mayor Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠) expressed gratitude for the council's support and the assistance of teachers, stating that the city government insists on putting the children's welfare first.

Chiayi City's Department of Education (教育處) Director Kuo Tien-tsai (郭添財) highlighted the city's commitment by allocating NT$34.23 million to the program.

The Ministry of Agriculture (農業部) and the Ministry of Education (教育部) launched the free domestic milk program for students in September 2024. However, due to insufficient support measures, increased administrative burdens, and a lack of refrigeration facilities in schools, the Executive Yuan (行政院) suspended the program in December 2024.

Despite this, the Chiayi City Government (嘉義市政府) independently allocated a budget to sustain the policy. Meanwhile, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) also endorsed the policy, coordinating with major convenience stores for milk voucher exchanges and continued urging central government subsidies.