On October 22, 2025, Taiwan was thrust into the international spotlight as it confirmed its first-ever cases of African swine fever (ASF), a highly contagious and nearly always fatal disease for pigs. The outbreak was discovered at a hog farm in the Wuqi district of Taichung, a coastal city in central Taiwan. According to the Associated Press, samples from dead pigs tested positive for the virus, prompting authorities to take immediate and sweeping action.
The Ministry of Agriculture announced that, in response to the positive tests, 195 pigs from the affected farm were preventively culled on October 23. Animal protection and quarantine authorities oversaw the cleaning and disinfection of the premises, and a control zone with a radius of three kilometers (about 1.9 miles) was swiftly established to contain any potential spread. The ministry also imposed a five-day ban on the movement and slaughter of pigs across the entire island, a move that began at noon on October 22. This unprecedented step aimed to halt the virus in its tracks before it could devastate Taiwan’s vital pork industry.
"We must implement the highest standards to prevent and control this suspected case of African swine fever," Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih stated at a news conference, as reported by the Associated Press. Although virus isolation typically takes two weeks, Chen emphasized the urgency of the situation, explaining that the authorities could not afford to wait before acting decisively.
The gravity of the outbreak is underscored by the fact that this is Taiwan’s first confirmed encounter with ASF. The disease, which does not affect humans or animals outside the pig family, can be catastrophic for pig populations. The virus is so lethal and contagious that even a single breach can threaten the entire pork industry, which, according to official data cited by AFP, consists of around five million pigs and generates roughly NT$70 billion (US$2.3 billion) annually.
Authorities have been tracing the whereabouts of 28 pigs from the infected farm that had already been sold in markets, as reported by France24. The Ministry of Agriculture assured the public that, as of Thursday, no other infections had been detected elsewhere on the island. Still, the ban on pig transport and slaughter remained firmly in place, and the control zone was actively monitored to prevent further spread.
President Lai Ching-te addressed the nation, urging calm and vigilance. In a Facebook post, he called on local governments, livestock associations, and pig farmers to be “highly vigilant.” He added, "If any abnormal deaths or suspected animal infections are found among pigs, please immediately report them to the local animal quarantine authorities." Lai’s message was clear: while the situation is serious, panic would only make matters worse.
The Ministry of Agriculture also revealed plans to isolate the virus strain before officially reporting it to the World Organization of Animal Health. This step, officials said, was crucial for confirming the exact nature of the outbreak and ensuring Taiwan’s compliance with international protocols.
According to Focus Taiwan, the presence of ASF in domestic pigs in Taichung marked a significant escalation in the region’s ongoing battle against the disease. If confirmed, Taiwan would be the latest Asian country to grapple with ASF, joining South Korea, which, as of October 2025, is the only Asian nation with a confirmed ongoing outbreak. The World Organization of Animal Health also reports that twelve countries in Europe are currently battling the virus, highlighting the global scale of the threat.
Historically, ASF has wrought havoc in neighboring countries. In 2019, millions of pigs were culled in China and Vietnam as the virus swept through Asia, causing severe economic and food security concerns. Taiwan, until now, had managed to keep the disease at bay through rigorous border inspections and strict import controls.
However, the origins of the outbreak have become a point of heated political debate. The Ministry of Agriculture suspects the most likely route of transmission was the illegal importation of pork products from outside Taiwan, which may have entered pig farms through food waste systems. This suspicion has reignited scrutiny over border inspection practices and funding.
Green camp politicians, particularly from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), have pointed to recent budget cuts for border inspections as a likely contributor to the outbreak. According to the Taipei Times, DPP New Taipei City Councilor Cho Kuan-ting criticized the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) for pushing an amendment that resulted in a NT$20 million (about US$650,000) cut to the border inspection budget. Cho highlighted that, from January 1, 2018, to October 22, 2025, border inspection units seized 13,583 pork items totaling 22.372 tonnes, with more than 60% originating from China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Of the 9,511 pork products tested for ASF, 997 (over 10%) were positive, and 85% of these positives were from China.
Cho argued that border inspection units had been working tirelessly to protect Taiwan from ASF and other pork diseases, but “their budget got slashed by lawmakers.” DPP Legislator Michelle Lin echoed these concerns, warning that an ASF outbreak could lead to pork shortages and price hikes, further impacting daily life and the broader economy. "Pork is a very important part of preparing dishes for daily meals. An ASF outbreak would lead to a pork shortage and hike the prices of all meat products," she said.
Opposition parties, however, have pushed back strongly against the accusations. TPP officials rejected the notion that budget cuts were to blame, stating, “The budget for border inspections has actually increased, but the ASF outbreak still occurred.” The KMT caucus also accused the DPP of politicizing the crisis. KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang remarked, “Our government’s agriculture officials have been fighting against ASF since 2018 and the budget for such work has not been reduced.” He called for enhanced border control and stricter inspections, urging the DPP to “shoulder responsibility as the ruling party, and not shift the blame to others.”
Regardless of the political wrangling, the immediate focus remains on containing the outbreak and protecting Taiwan’s pork industry. The five-day ban on pig transport and slaughter, the establishment of a control zone, and the ongoing tracing of potentially infected animals are all part of a comprehensive effort to prevent a wider crisis.
For now, Taiwan’s swift and robust response has drawn both domestic and international attention. The coming days will be critical in determining whether the island can prevent the virus from spreading further and safeguard its vital pork industry from the devastating fate that has befallen so many of its neighbors.
As the situation unfolds, the eyes of the region—and indeed the world—remain fixed on Taiwan’s next moves in this high-stakes battle against African swine fever.
