TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Prosecutors have detained two pig farmers in Taichung’s Wuqi District after discovering altered documents linked to the recent African swine fever outbreak.

An investigation by the Taichung City Government found that the triplicate forms required for reporting livestock deaths showed signs of tampering, per UDN. During the early stages of the outbreak, the city repeatedly revised its reported number of dead pigs before settling on 78.

After questioning the father and son farmers, surnamed Chen (陳), prosecutors alleged that the two had entered false information into official records and requested their detention. The court approved the request, per CNA.

Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) said Monday that the farm’s heat-treating equipment was found to be inoperable, even after army technicians spent significant time attempting to repair it, per Tai Sounds.

Retired veterinary professor and member of the central government’s tracing team, Tsai Hsiang-jung (蔡向榮), added that while the farm had ordered three shipments of liquefied petroleum gas in 2024, it had only ordered one shipment this year, and the gas tanks still contained fuel.

Tsai also revealed that the farm owner admitted to uploading old photos, casting doubt on whether food waste was properly treated before being fed to the pigs. Proper heat treatment of food waste is necessary to eliminate traces of the African swine fever virus that may linger in discarded food. The tracing team concluded that the African swine fever virus most likely entered the farm through contaminated food waste, per UP Media.

Chen Junne-jih also commented on Taichung City Government’s handling of a Sunday incident in which city personnel conducted sanitation work at the site after central government officials had already done so, delaying follow-up testing. He acknowledged Taichung’s claim that the worker had misunderstood orders but called for a full report on the matter, per NOWnews.

Minister without Portfolio Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said central government directives had been clearly communicated and praised some municipalities for their effective response. He suggested that the problem in this case likely stemmed from issues in local execution rather than policy.

The Taichung City Government expressed appreciation for the central government’s guidance and reiterated that safeguarding Taiwan’s pig industry remains its top priority. It also pledged to investigate the unauthorized entry of the city employee into the farm site.