Goats would no longer need to be vaccinated against the goat pox virus from Jan. 1, as the nation has successfully contained an outbreak that began in 2008, the Council of Agriculture said yesterday.
Taiwan is to notify the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) that it is a goat pox-free region after the initial outbreak in 2008 was contained and the country went a decade without a repeat incident.
Taiwan’s goat farming industry mostly satisfies domestic demand, but declined after a goat pox outbreak began in June 2008.
Photo: CNA
The outbreak reached a high in 2010, leading to the sector euthanizing 23,740 goats and sheep across 583 farms, the council said.
The council said that the last case of goat pox was found on Feb. 5, 2012, and there has not been a reported case since.
According to WOAH regulations, if a country has not had an incident for three years since the last reported case, or if the government has continually implemented a slaughter policy for all infected goats, it can apply for disease-free status six months after the last infected sheep or goat has been put down.
The council said that Taiwan meets all conditions for disease-free status, and on Jan. 1 would stop administering the vaccine.
However, a six-month observation period would follow, the council said.
The council said it would keep an inventory of goat pox vaccines in storage during the observation period.
The sheep and goat farming industry in Taiwan is valued at NT$1 billion (US$32.6 million), Goat Farmers’ Association director-general Lin Chun-chen (林浚琛) said.
Farmers have for six years been hoping the government would rescind the vaccine policy, Liu said, adding that rolling back the policy could help grow the industry.
Lin also expressed hope that the industry would grow to include exports, adding that the advantage of Taiwanese mutton is that it does not have a strong smell.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said it is fully aware of the situation following reports that the son of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai (薄熙來) has arrived in Taiwan and is to marry a Taiwanese. Local media reported that Bo Guagua (薄瓜瓜), son of the former member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is to marry the granddaughter of Luodong Poh-Ai Hospital founder Hsu Wen-cheng (許文政). The pair met when studying abroad and arranged to get married this year, with the wedding breakfast to be held at The One holiday resort in Hsinchu
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon this morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The storm, which as of 8am was still 1,100km southeast of southern Taiwan, is currently expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, the CWA said. Because of its rapid speed — 28kph as of 8am — a sea warning for the storm could be issued tonight, rather than tomorrow, as previously forecast, the CWA said. In terms of its impact, Usagi is to bring scattered or
An orange gas cloud that leaked from a waste management plant yesterday morning in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) was likely caused by acidic waste, authorities said, adding that it posed no immediate harm. The leak occurred at a plant in the district’s Environmental Science and Technology Park at about 7am, the Taoyuan Fire Department said. Firefighters discovered a cloud of unidentified orange gas leaking from a waste tank when they arrived on the site, it said, adding that they put on Level A chemical protection before entering the building. After finding there was no continuous leak, the department worked with the city’s Department
RSS