TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A batch of fresh Taiwanese pork was shipped to the Philippines on Monday (Sept. 11) for the first time since Taiwan was declared free of foot-and-mouth disease in June 2020.

Six pork product companies, including Taiwan Farm Industry Co., Shin Le Food Co., Her Rong Yin Industrial Co., Tai An Food Co., Cha I Shan Foods Co., and Sings Kout Trading Co., were granted permission to export fresh pork to the Philippines in April. In mid-July, the six companies invited Filipino pork importers to visit Taiwan, and after more than two months of negotiations, Cha Yi Shan Foods finalized a deal to ship one shipping container of pork, RTI reported.

The Ministry of Agriculture has been assisting Taiwanese pork producers in reopening overseas markets through quarantine consultations and negotiations with target market countries. Minister of Agriculture Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) said Taiwan is gradually eradicating traditional swine fever after being declared free of foot-and-mouth disease.

Current data looks promising, he said, and if there are no issues, Taiwan will apply to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) to be recognized as a non-classical swine fever-free zone.

Chen said he hoped a WOAH approval could come as early as November next year, allowing Taiwan to simultaneously open its markets to countries like Japan and the U.S. If Taiwan receives WOAH approval, it will become the only pork-producing country in Asia free of foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever, and classical swine fever.