TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) applauded Taipei City's initiative to provide children from kindergarten to elementary school with locally produced milk or soy milk on Wednesday (March 12). He suggested that other local governments should adopt similar measures.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) unveiled a new policy dubbed "Milk for Every Student," set to begin in April, which offers fresh dairy products to schoolchildren. Mayor Chiang introduced this initiative a day earlier, highlighting its dual aim to boost children's nutrition and support the local dairy industry.
The Taipei Department of Education anticipates the project will require an annual budget of approximately NT$184 million, sourced from the Taipei Local Education Development Fund.
Mayor Chiang stressed Taipei's proactive approach, asserting that the city government will act decisively where the central government does not. He plans to lead a team from various departments to evaluate the local dairy farming sector.
The purpose of Taipei City's policy is to continue the Ministry of Agriculture's "Milk for Every Class" program, which was halted in December 2024 after just one semester due to differing opinions.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) has slated eight rural speeches for March, focusing on the annual budget and the Fiscal Revenue and Expenditure Allocation Act. Premier Cho indicated that no specific timeline has been established for these events.