Taiwan: Taiwan Eradicates Foot and Mouth Disease But Challenges Remain for Returning to Pork Export Market
On June 16, 2020, Taiwan was officially recognized as free from foot and mouth disease (FMD) without vaccinations by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Taiwan has been shut out of the global pork market since a 1997 FMD outbreak. The loss of export markets forced Taiwan producers to focus on pork production for the Taiwan market, which resulted in the reemergence of more traditional swine production practices. While Taiwan now has an OIE-recognized FMD-free status, Taiwan remains as an epidemic area for classical swine fever (CSF). CSF will need to be addressed by Taiwan’s animal health regulatory authorities to enable Taiwan pork producers to fully participate in the global pork market.