TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) said Monday the ministry plans to phase out the use of food waste as pig feed within a year.
Under the proposal, pig farms equipped with approved surveillance systems may continue using food waste during the one-year transition period, but household food waste — considered higher risk — will be banned immediately, per Liberty Times. To help farmers switch feed sources, the ministry will provide subsidies of NT$3,600 per pig for those who transition in 2025 and NT$1,800 per pig for those who transition in 2026.
Local governments may shorten the sunset period at their discretion. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment will stop issuing new permits for food waste use.
All farms currently using food waste must install surveillance equipment, and waste carriers must install GPS devices, with costs covered by the agriculture ministry. Chen said most local governments agree with phasing out food waste as feed, but the ministry will work with both governments and industry before submitting a final proposal to the Cabinet.
National Taiwan University Professor Su Jung-jeng (蘇忠楨) criticized the plan, saying it is illogical to require farmers to buy new equipment for a practice slated for elimination within a year, per News&Market. He added that recent African swine fever outbreaks abroad have not been linked to food waste.
Su also warned that converting food waste to compost would require significant time and land, and that virus-bearing scraps could spread disease if accessed by small animals such as squirrels.
Juan Chuan-ming (阮專銘), secretary-general of the boxed meal trade union, said the sunset clause renders investments in heat-treatment equipment pointless and may reduce nationwide processing capacity. He warned that processing fees could rise, pushing up boxed meal prices and lowering quality.
The Ministry of Environment has projected that Taiwan’s food waste processing capacity will surpass total waste volume by the end of 2026. However, a civil servant familiar with the issue cautioned that the estimate may be overly optimistic, citing population influx from the high-tech sector and migrant labor that could push daily food waste levels higher.
In Taichung, a recent survey found that 33 of the 36 pig farms using food waste as feed want to continue the practice, per CNA. All 33 raise black pigs, which rely on food waste to control costs and remain competitive with white pig producers.
Taichung Pig Farmers’ Association Executive Secretary Yang Chun-chieh (楊駿杰) said producers ultimately have no choice but to comply with government policy, per UDN.
