Legislators Urge Government to Address Dead Livestock Disposal and Establish Regional Systems

DPP legislators, including Lai Hui-yuan, held a press conference on the 22nd, citing last year's African Swine Fever case in Taichung to urge the government to address the risks of processing dead livestock and cross-regional transport. They demanded that the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment expand subsidies for livestock farms to purchase rendering machines and establish a regionalized disposal system to reduce the risk of major animal disease outbreaks. Representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture invited to the press conference said they would review the matter and strive to secure funding for assistance. The Ministry of Environment representative stated they would cooperate with the Ministry of Agriculture through inter-ministerial mechanisms. Legislators Lai Hui-yuan, Tsai Yi-yu, Chung Chia-pin, and Hsu Fu-kuei called on the government to strengthen epidemic prevention resilience. Lai pointed out that rendering plants are currently concentrated in a few counties and cities such as Yilan, Changhua, Yunlin, Tainan, and Pingtung. Other regions must transport dead livestock across long distances, and in the event of a major outbreak, these transport vehicles could become mobile virus vectors. Lai noted that while the Ministry of Agriculture has promoted rendering machine subsidies, the current maximum subsidy of NT$500,000 is insufficient, as equipment costs range from NT$800,000 to over NT$2 million, making it difficult for many farms to afford. The legislators collectively urged the government to increase the subsidy ratio and total budget, establish a regionalized disposal system, and strengthen local processing capacity. Li Yi-chien, Director of the Department of Animal Industry at the Ministry of Agriculture, explained that under the Animal Industry Act and the Waste Disposal Act, there are various ways to handle dead livestock, such as sending them to rendering plants or on-site biological treatment. He added that the Ministry would review the proposal to increase subsidies and establish a regional epidemic prevention network.