1. MOA: Owners of non-microchipped pet cats to be fined from 2026

Owners of pet cats in Taiwan could face a fine of up to NT$15,000 (US$461.54) from Jan. 1, 2026 if they fail to register the animals and have them microchipped, a Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) official said on　December 17^th. Under a revised rule that will come into force on Jan. 1, 2025, both domesticated cats and dogs must be registered and microchipped with the local authorities to prevent them from going missing instead of just dogs as previously required.

2. MOA pulls the plug on 'fresh milk for every class' initiative

The government's "fresh milk for every class" policy, which launched in September, will be discontinued starting next semester, the Cabinet said on December 20^th . Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) made the decision to halt the initiative in light of mixed feedback the government has received from teachers and parents, Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said at a press briefing. The four-year, NT$4.4 billion (US$134.8 million) program targeting elementary school students had launched in September with the aim of increasing students' calcium intake and supporting the local dairy industry, as Taiwan prepares to remove tariffs on milk imports from New Zealand in 2025. From the start, however, the program drew complaints from teachers and administrators about supply shortages, schools' lack of refrigerated storage space, and interruptions caused by the twice-a-week distribution schedule.