1. Central Government to Fund 70% of Hualien Fishing Port Cold Chain Project

Premier Cho Jung-tai visited Hualien Fishing Port on October 29 with Minister of Agriculture Chen Chun-chi and Fisheries Agency Director-General Wang Mao-cheng to inspect the planned construction site for an ice storage plant and cold storage facility. The central government will, in principle, support the NT$120 million project, with the Ministry of Agriculture covering 70% of the cost under its second-phase cold chain program.　The project will include six cold storage rooms totaling approximately 65 ping (215 square meters), maintained at minus 25 degrees Celsius, and an ice storage facility with a capacity of 93.6 metric tons. The facilities will supply ice for fishing vessels and help preserve seafood after landing.　Agriculture Minister Chen said the project will stabilize ice supplies and expand cold storage capacity, enabling better management of fish supplies during peak seasons and helping reduce price fluctuations.　The Ministry of Agriculture will work with the Hualien County Government to assess ice demand and oversee project implementation, strengthening the seafood cold chain and market resilience in eastern Taiwan.

2. Taiwan Raises First-Time Fines for Illegal Food Waste Transport and Pig Feeding to NT$500,000 Each

Taiwan has raised first-time fines for illegally transporting food waste to pig farms and feeding it to pigs from NT$200,000 to NT$500,000 each, effective October 22. Violators breaking both rules face combined fines of NT$1 million.　The Central Emergency Operations Center for African swine fever (ASF) reviewed enforcement measures at its 69th meeting on October 28, including GPS tracking of food waste transport vehicles, automated cooking monitoring and farm inspections.　Authorities will strengthen inspections of pig farms transitioning away from food waste feeding and cross-check transport records with monitoring data to detect violations. The center urged farmers to comply with restrictions and cooperate with inspections to prevent ASF and protect Taiwan’s pig industry.