The Council of Agriculture says that it remains on alert even as the ongoing bird flu epidemic is brought under control.
The outbreak of bird flu, which began in January, has impacted 847 farms and led to the destruction of more than 5.86 million poultry. These include almost all of the domesticated geese in Taiwan.
A temporary ban on slaughtering animals has successfully prevented the spread of the disease through infected carcasses. Agriculture Minister Chen Bao-ji said Wednesday that compliance with government orders has helped to lower the risk of the outbreak’s further spread. However, Chen said that isolated cases of bird flu are still emerging.
The agriculture council’s animal quarantine bureau says it will continue to check for certificates showing that eggs have been fumigated. In addition to checking that farms and egg suppliers have the appropriate certification, the bureau will also stop trucks carrying eggs at roadside weigh stations around the country.
Those who fail to provide certification could be subject to fines ranging from NT$50,000 to NT$1 million (roughly US$1,500 to US$30,000).
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Chen Bao-ji has also urged poultry farmers to follow ministry guidelines on improving poultry-raising conditions in order to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.