1.Agriculture top priority in next U.S. trade talks: Top Taiwan negotiator

Expanding agricultural exports to the United States will be a priority issue in negotiations of the second phase of the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade after the two sides signed an initial agreement on June 1, Taiwan's top trade negotiator said. After the initial agreement of the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade is signed, negotiations will commence on more complicated trade areas including environmental protection, labor and agricultural issues.

2.Eyeing CSF-free status, Taiwan halts vaccinations for swine fever

Taiwan will proceed with a plan to stop vaccinating pigs against classical swine fever (CSF) for a year starting July 1, in the hope of being declared free of the disease in 2024, according to Council of Agriculture (COA).No vaccinations against the highly contagious diseases were administered to pigs in the first half of the year except to breeding pigs, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (Baphiq) under the COA said. The program will now move on to its second stage, which means ending CSF vaccination for all pigs, including breeding pigs, for a year, the bureau said.