An African swine fever outbreak has occurred at a pig farm in Taichung, Taiwan, leading to criticism of Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen—considered a strong contender to represent the Kuomintang in the 2028 presidential election—for being slow in epidemic prevention and allegedly unqualified to run for president.
The Taiwan Ministry of Agriculture confirmed on Wednesday (October 22) that an African swine fever outbreak broke out at a pig farm in Wuqi, Taichung, which uses kitchen waste to feed pigs. A nationwide ban on pig slaughter for at least 15 days was implemented, impacting people's livelihoods and the economy.
According to Taiwan’s Liberty Times, Taiwanese internet celebrity Hu Caiping posted on Facebook’s “Emmy Chasing Dramas Time” on Saturday (the 25th), saying that African swine fever is an issue that affects pig farmers across Taiwan and all citizens, requiring significant time and effort at the border to prevent its entry. Once an outbreak occurs, every second counts, yet Lu Shiow-yen was busy hosting a shopping festival event, and disease samples were handled via convenience store express delivery. Lu Shiow-yen was also unable to stand at the front line to explain the response situation to the Taiwanese public.
She also mentioned Taiwan’s past foot-and-mouth disease epidemic, which broke many pig farming families, and that it took 23 years of effort for Taiwan to be delisted as an epidemic area and to reopen pork exports, at a huge cost.
Hu Caiping bluntly stated: “With such administrative capability, if Covid-19 were to have happened under Mayor Lu, Taiwan would already be done for.”
She continued, if one cannot recognize the seriousness of this issue and can only handle emergencies at this level, “Sorry, but I think Mama Lu (Lu Shiow-yen) is not qualified to run for the presidency.”
The Taiwan Ministry of Agriculture confirmed on Wednesday (October 22) that an African swine fever outbreak broke out at a pig farm in Wuqi, Taichung, which uses kitchen waste to feed pigs. A nationwide ban on pig slaughter for at least 15 days was implemented, impacting people's livelihoods and the economy.
According to Taiwan’s Liberty Times, Taiwanese internet celebrity Hu Caiping posted on Facebook’s “Emmy Chasing Dramas Time” on Saturday (the 25th), saying that African swine fever is an issue that affects pig farmers across Taiwan and all citizens, requiring significant time and effort at the border to prevent its entry. Once an outbreak occurs, every second counts, yet Lu Shiow-yen was busy hosting a shopping festival event, and disease samples were handled via convenience store express delivery. Lu Shiow-yen was also unable to stand at the front line to explain the response situation to the Taiwanese public.
She also mentioned Taiwan’s past foot-and-mouth disease epidemic, which broke many pig farming families, and that it took 23 years of effort for Taiwan to be delisted as an epidemic area and to reopen pork exports, at a huge cost.
Hu Caiping bluntly stated: “With such administrative capability, if Covid-19 were to have happened under Mayor Lu, Taiwan would already be done for.”
She continued, if one cannot recognize the seriousness of this issue and can only handle emergencies at this level, “Sorry, but I think Mama Lu (Lu Shiow-yen) is not qualified to run for the presidency.”