TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan has achieved an unprecedented agricultural milestone as the first and only Asian nation to be declared free of all three major swine diseases, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) announced Wednesday (June 4). The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the global authority on animal disease control, has formally certified Taiwan as a classical swine fever-free country (傳統豬瘟非疫國), completing a decades-long quest that positions the island's pork industry for potential international expansion.
Speaking at a celebratory event at the Presidential Office, Lai traced Taiwan's challenging path to disease-free status, which commenced with a devastating foot-and-mouth disease (口蹄疫) outbreak in 1997 that decimated the island's pork exports. The president detailed how Taiwan's agricultural authorities worked methodically over 23 years to eradicate the disease, finally securing international certification as a foot-and-mouth disease-free zone in 2020. Lai further explained that Taiwan's rigorous border screening protocols, implemented after African swine fever emerged in neighboring China in 2018, successfully prevented viral introduction and led to Taiwan's designation as an African swine fever-free zone just last year.
The latest certification for classical swine fever-free status represents the culmination of a comprehensive national effort spanning multiple administrations, according to the president. Lai extended his appreciation to previous government agricultural teams and frontline quarantine workers whose vigilance and technical expertise transformed Taiwan from a region plagued by livestock diseases to one meeting the highest international animal health standards. The president characterized the achievement as particularly meaningful for Taiwan's agricultural sector, which has long sought to overcome trade barriers resulting from historical disease concerns.
In his remarks, Lai acknowledged the crucial role of public compliance with biosecurity measures, crediting Taiwan's robust epidemic prevention infrastructure for this international recognition. The president tempered celebration with pragmatism, warning that disease-free certification does not confer permanent immunity and pledging continued investment in border inspection systems, environmental surveillance networks, and public awareness campaigns. Taiwan will leverage this hard-won status to bolster its agricultural export potential, Lai affirmed, outlining plans to enhance industry competitiveness and develop new international markets that could significantly increase global access to Taiwan's premium pork products, which have largely remained within domestic markets due to previous disease restrictions. ◼