Taichung dismisses three officials for mishandling of African swine fever

Taichung dismisses three officials for mishandling of African swine fever

2025-11-06

Taichung has dismissed three government officials due to the city’s handling of the African swine fever outbreak last month. The officials fired are the heads of the Agriculture Bureau, the Environmental Protection Bureau and the Animal Protection Office. Mayor Lu Shiow-yen on Thursday afternoon offered an apology for the mishandling. But the move has been criticized by DPP councilors, who said Lu as just putting on a show. Let’s hear more.

Lu Shiow-yen
Taichung Mayor
We didn’t do well enough during the epidemic prevention process. As mayor, I must take full responsibility for that.

Chiang Chao-kuo
Taichung City Councilor (DPP)
The Taichung government is always half a step behind everyone else. Why wait until public anger boils over to finally address the problems?

Chen Ya-hui
Taichung City Councilor (DPP)
The officials were only sacked after public backlash. There’s no decisiveness. And actions are slow. The only think they know how to do is shift the blame.

Lin Teh-yu
Taichung City Councilor (DPP)
Lu Shiow-yen only cares about doing damage control for her political career, perfectly timing her appearances for the best effect. It’s the classic three-act story. First she claims credit for averting crisis, then she fires some officials, and finally she will dodge responsibility at the special council report tomorrow.

The councilors say that the matter should go beyond politics, and get a judicial investigation started. They say they will continue to keep the city government in check, and warned the Lu administration to stay vigilant or risk the whole country paying a heavy price.

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#africanswinefever #asf #pigs #livestock #pork #animal

非洲豬瘟防疫不力"3首長拔官" 盧秀燕道歉:媽媽做不好要檢討

2025-11-06

台中爆發非洲豬瘟，針對防疫接連疏失，市府今天(6日)中午宣布，免除農業局、環保局及動保處3位首長職務。下午，台中市長盧秀燕，首度鞠躬道歉，綠營炮轟，這是盧秀燕所精心安排的"止血復活秀"。

[[台中市長盧秀燕]]
“在整個防疫過程中，我們做得不夠好，身為市長，我必須概括承受”

[[台中市議員(民) 江肇國]]
“我覺得台中市政府，會不會未免太慢半拍了，一定要等到民眾的怒火燒起來了，你才肯真正來面對嗎”

[[台中市議員(民) 陳雅惠]]
“輿論壓力爆發之後，才讓兩位局長下台，顯示決斷力不足，反應遲鈍，只會事後切割與卸責”

[[台中市議員(民) 林德宇]]
“盧秀燕關心的，是自己的政治止血，什麼時候出場，才是最好的時間點，為自己政治復出，在做三部曲，自己先說拆彈有功，再讓局長免職，然後規避明天議會專案報告的責任”

綠營指出，豬瘟案不只是政治責任，未來可能還要面對司法審判，議會將持續嚴格監督，盧市府勢必得繃緊神經，別再因怠惰，而讓全國付出代價。

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Taiwan provides fruit for Japanese school lunches, expanding exports

The Ministry of Agriculture has been supplying Kasama City in Japan with fruit for its school lunches for seven years. This year, Taiwan’s bananas were one of the highlights. Students get to taste Taiwan’s fruits and share their impressions, as the ministry works with local governments in Japan to expand exports of Taiwanese produce.

Musicians strum the shamisen, a traditional Japanese instrument, giving a powerful performance at the Taipei Hope Plaza.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture Hu Jong-i, Representative Taiwan Office in Kasama City Director Tsuboi Yuki, and other representatives from Taiwan and Japan fill a box with Taiwanese bananas, symbolizing the fruits that are about to be exported to Japan.

Hu Jong-i
Deputy Minister of Agriculture
Over the past seven years, we have been supplying fruit to an increasing number of cities and students. In addition to bananas, Taiwan also provides pineapples, mangoes, pomelos, jujubes, and more, increasing the visibility of our high-quality agriculture produce in the international market.

Tsuboi Yuki
Representative Taiwan Office in Kasama City Director
This year, in addition to bananas, Taiwan provided pineapples and mangoes for our school lunches. Japanese students who have eaten Taiwanese fruits think they are beautiful, high quality, and taste great. They have a great impression of Taiwanese bananas.

Nearly 10 tons of Taiwanese bananas are being sent to 223 schools in Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture, reaching over 68,000 students. By providing students with fresh fruit, the ministry hopes to increase demand for Taiwanese fruits in Japan, and even export related products such as banana fries, cookies, and cakes.

Hu Jong-i
Deputy Minister of Agriculture
We have driven the export of our fruits to countries around the world, improved our supply chain and cold chain facilities, and advanced our technology. Increasing exports also boosts domestic market prices, providing tangible benefits to farmers’ income.

Taiwan has been exporting quality fruits to Japanese schools for seven years. From student lunches to family dining tables, this has boosted demand for Taiwanese fruit and enhanced cooperation between Taiwan’s and Japan’s agriculture industries.

#fruit #Taiwanfruit #banana #mango #pineapple #Japan #KasamaCity #exports #agriculture #cooperation

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2025-11-06

Family-run restaurant in Wanli receives Michelin recommendation

A restaurant in New Taipei’s Wanli District received a Michelin recommendation this year, becoming the only restaurant in the district to make the list. The restaurant is run by three sisters, who turn fresh, local ingredients into exquisite meals. The ingredients may be simple, but using cooking skills passed down by their father, they make delicious dishes that keep customers coming back for more.

Mushrooms and radishes are stir-fried in a wok, then paired with fresh, local taro to create a simple yet exquisite home-style dish. It is one of many popular choices at this restaurant.

Freshly made sweet potato balls and biscuits are served hot, filling the air with their sweet scent. Taro and sweet potato may be common ingredients, but here, the chefs preserve their purest flavors, creating dishes that make customers smile after one bite.

Customer
It’s dense, so delicious and sweet, with a great texture. I’ve never had one this good before.

Voice of Chien Shu-fen
Restaurant manager
Sweet potatoes have been closely linked with our lives since we were young. We decided to turn them into dishes because continuous research and innovation are essential when running a restaurant.

The three Chien sisters run this restaurant in New Taipei’s Wanli District. Building on cooking skills inherited from their father, their restaurant was recommended by the Michelin Guide this year.

Voice of Chien Shu-fen
Restaurant manager
We were very surprised to be recommended by Michelin this time, because for two years in a row, we were selected as a famous restaurant by New Taipei City. Then in May, I received the first email from Michelin asking me for information about the restaurant. At first, I thought it might be a scam. It was too good to be true! I quickly told my father up in heaven, "Dad, we won an award."

After returning home to take care of their mother, these three sisters decided to open a restaurant inspired by their father’s cooking. Using fresh, seasonal foods, they turn everyday ingredients into delicious dishes, bringing pure flavors of the countryside to people in the city. This year, their innovation was recognized by the Michelin Guide.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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2025-11-06

Cerebral Palsy Association create zero-waste fashion designs

A zero-waste fashion brand has joined forces with the Taiwan Cerebral Palsy Association and a e-commerce platform to launch an inclusive employment training program. Through a series of creative workshops, participants produced paintings, beadwork, and fashion accessories that are now showcased in a special exhibit in Taipei, and on the runway at Tokyo Fashion Week. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has the story.

Participants engaged in creative workshops, producing paintings, beadwork, and fashion accessories. Their artworks are featured on various denim garments. This is part of an employment training program launched by a zero-waste fashion brand, a global e-commerce platform, and the Taiwan Cerebral Palsy Association to empower youth with cerebral palsy through sustainable fashion and e-commerce training.

Fang hsuan
Cerebral Palsy Association
I think this event gave me the opportunity to express myself because it involved creative work, and I really enjoy painting. The journey of pursuing a dream is difficult, but like I just said, as long as you’re willing to give it a try, there’s always a chance. I made beadwork and paintings, and also learned how to run a business through e-commerce.

Kuan Chen
Founder
The Cerebral Palsy Association NGO is actually part of our maker. A lot of accessories are made from them. They help us to disassemble the jeans and make it into bags, and now their kids are growing up so we are trying to give a solution for their kids to have a job. So, this time, we work with the NGO really closely, from training them to draw and to make products. And also, to manage an e-commerce platform so that they can sell their products on the platform and then they can have income.

Chen Tzu-chun
Cerebral Palsy Association
People with cerebral palsy need more time and support, but there are many opportunities for them to shine. I believe children with cerebral palsy face challenges in the workplace, but through this kind of collaboration, we can discover their true potential.

The collaborative works are showcased at a sustainable concept store in Taipei called House of Story Wear for a year, and at Tokyo Fashion Week. Founded in 2018, this brand is Taiwan’s only zero-waste fashion brand, known for up-cycling denim and other discarded textiles into sustainable apparel.

Kuan Chen
Founder
The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world so we wish to use our zero-waste design skill to give people a solution about sustainable fashion. Upcycyed material is really difficult. That is why we are the only ones doing it. For example, for recycled jeans, we need to wash it first. There is no factory willing to disassemble for you. It is really hard to mass-produce, so for us we are lucky. We work with around 10 different NGOs already so they willingly disassemble the jeans for us to make it into garments.

Their brand actively collaborates with individuals with disabilities. Looking ahead, they plan to expand their social impact by partnering with an animal welfare NGO to support causes related to rescue, rehabilitation, and ethical treatment of animals.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#cerebralpalsyassociation #fashion #zerowastefashion #NGO #cerebralpalsy #animalwelfare

2025-11-06

Tainan schools track leftovers to reduce food waste

Schools across the nation have been trying to reduce food waste now that leftover food can no longer be used as pig feed due to Taiwan’s African swine fever outbreak. Tainan’s Department of Education aims to reduce food waste by 8% in three months, encouraging students to finish their meals and requiring schools to track leftovers and plan meals more precisely.

Students line up to fill their plates at lunchtime. The nutritious meal includes five-grain rice, vegetables, and meat, and the students leave little leftovers.

This middle school in Tainan encourages students to finish their meals to avoid wasting food. This table tracks the amount of leftovers from each class.

Yeh Liang-yin
School nutritionist
We assign one person to keep track of students’ leftovers every day. Then the students give us feedback through a survey, and we adjust the amount of food allocated to each class based on the students’ needs.

Middle school student
All the food they prepare is really good. Usually there isn’t much left over.

The school tracks leftovers to accurately determine how much food each class requires. But what if there isn’t enough food?

Chen Wen-tsai
School principal
Neighboring classes will support each other. If one class doesn’t have enough food, we will ask a class next door to share, which reduces food waste.

Schools across Tainan are encouraging students to clean their plates because pig farms will no longer collect leftovers to use as feed due to the recent African swine fever outbreak.

Chen Tsung-yang
Tainan Department of Education Secretary-General
Through concrete measures, we hope to reduce the total amount of food waste by 8% within three months.

Chen Wen-tsai
School principal
We also asked nutritionists to change the food they prepare and reduce foods that are commonly left over. We now use a precise amount of ingredients and meal preparation system.

In response to local government policies, schools are making sure to prepare meals that students enjoy. By tracking food consumption and providing food that students like, they are quickly reducing their food waste.

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550 kids and teachers evacuated due to fire at factory near school

550 students and teachers were evacuated in Shulin on Thursday morning due to a fire raging at a factory next to their school. The blaze started at around 11 a.m. at a garment- and boat-making factory, and created a thick cloud of smoke that quickly spread in the area. The school took the children to a nearby park and dismissed classes early. Fortunately everyone was unharmed.

Thick black smoke shoots straight into the sky. Sirens blaring, fire trucks swerve through traffic.

Firefighters arrive at the scene and begin spraying water to extinguish the flames.

Inside the factory, the fire continues to smolder, sending thick smoke to Ganyuan Elementary School next door, and prompting a full evacuation.

Chuang Li-cheng
FTV reporter
The fire started right behind the school, filling the area with dense smoke. All 550 students and teachers were immediately evacuated.

Member of public
Betel nut vendor
I saw the smoke, so I rushed out and saw it was coming from over there. It was around 10:30 in the morning. The smell was like burning plastic, really nasty.

The fire occurred at 11 a.m. at a garment- and boat-making factory on Sec. 1 of Ganyuan Street in New Taipei’s Shulin District. The building contained many flammable materials, which caused the fire to spread quickly and fill the area with smoke. People as far away as Sanxia and Yingge reported a burning smell. School was in session at Ganyuan Elementary School next door, so an evacuation was immediately launched, and all 550 students and teachers fled to Wanping Park and a nearby temple. In the end, the school let students home early.

Parent
Child goes to Ganyuan Elementary
I found out via the group chat we have with other parents. The school evacuated them to the activity center first, but when the smoke got too thick they went to private land behind the school.

Parent
Child goes to Ganyuan Elementary
The teacher from my kid’s after-school classes had heard about the incident. I didn’t know where my kid was, and when I called the school, nobody answered. I was so relieved afterwards.

Classes ended early, and many parents rushed to collect their kids and take them home. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Elderly bull abused by former owner gets rehomed at Old Buffalo Home

A shocking video of an elderly bull leaving a trail of blood while forcibly dragged on the road sparked outrage online. Later, he was even sold by his abusive owner. Luckily, the buyer turned out to be someone stepping in to pull him out of the misery. Now, the bull has been reregistered in Tainan and rehomed at the Old Buffalo Home run by the city government, so he’ll live out the rest of his life in peace.

An elderly bull is taken on a truck to Old Buffalo Home in Tainan. He’s reluctant to get off at first.

He’s eventually lured with food, and takes the first step into his new home, where he’ll be spending the remainder of his life. The vet then conducts a thorough health check on him.

Yueh Po-an
Veterinarian
His main conditions are injuries on the back of his neck from being dragged with ropes. Also, he has pain in his legs.

Why is he getting all this attention? It all started with this video.

Earlier, someone in Nantou recorded this footage of the bull tied to a pickup truck and leaving a bloody trail, being forcibly dragged along the road by its former owner. The footage caught much attention online, and someone stepped in to rescue him.

Wang Chiu-shu
Nantou County Representative (DPP)
A kind-hearted person notified me of the issue and asked if I could help rehome the bull to somewhere better and more comfortable.

The kind-hearted person purchased the bull from his former owner and asked that he be sent to Old Buffalo Home in Tainan. However, because the shelter only accepts cattle registered in Tainan, his ownership was transferred to a Tainan City Councilor, who then helped rehome him successfully.

Wang Chiu-shu
Nantou County Representative (DPP)
Very few people keep cattle now, and there isn’t a place that can provide shelter to cattle in Nantou County, so I asked a Tainan City Councilor in our party for assistance.

Mr. Tu
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We’ll put him in quarantine first so that he can settle down, and after that we’ll take him to the other residents. During the quarantine period, we’ll also check if he has any infectious diseases or skin conditions that need to be treated by a vet.

Thanks to the help of many people, the formerly abused elderly bull can spend the rest of his life in a safe environment.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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