Chiayi County Farmer Fined NT$3.46 Million for Repeatedly Feeding Pigs Kitchen Waste

Chiayi County Animal Disease Control Office announced today that a farmer surnamed Lin in Xingang Township, who rented farmland to raise pigs and fed them kitchen waste, has been fined NT$3.46 million for repeatedly failing to comply with regulations and not installing fencing, causing pigs to escape. The office received a report on the morning of February 3rd regarding suspected illegal pig farming on rented land in Xingang Township. The next day, officials from the county's Department of Agriculture inspected the site. They found that the farmer, Lin, had rented land from the Chiayi-Tainan Irrigation Association, Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, and was illegally raising over 60 pigs. The site was cluttered with numerous kitchen waste bins, plastic food containers, and agricultural materials, with a messy environment and some pigs having escaped to the flood control road. The Animal Disease Control Office immediately ordered the operator to stop feeding kitchen waste to the pigs and to install adequate fencing to prevent escapes, thereby reducing environmental pollution and disease transmission risks. However, the farmer repeatedly failed to improve, continuing to feed kitchen waste to the pigs and engaging in breeding. This marks the third violation discovered. The Animal Disease Control Office stated that the case was processed according to the Animal Epidemic Prevention Act, the Feed Management Act, and the Livestock Act. Due to the serious nature of the violations and repeat offenses, the total estimated fine amounts to NT$3.46 million. Fines of NT$1.7 million were imposed for violations of the Animal Epidemic Prevention Act and the Feed Management Act, respectively. Additionally, penalties ranging from NT$30,000 to NT$150,000 were levied for violations such as failing to install fencing and not registering the farm. The Animal Disease Control Office confirmed that three rounds of pig sampling and testing for African Swine Fever were conducted, all yielding negative results. Furthermore, disinfection vehicles and veterinarians were dispatched to the site to perform environmental disinfection and monitor the pigs' health, maintaining close surveillance to ensure the biosecurity of the overall pig farming industry. (Editor: Chen Ching-fang) 1150416