Taiwanese local governments expand school nutrition and milk subsidies

Multiple local governments in Taiwan have launched or expanded nutritional support programs for students as the new school year begins.

In Taichung, the ‘Taichung Calcium Praise 2.0’ program has expanded its milk and soy milk subsidies to include private elementary school students and children aged 2 to 12 residing in the city but attending school elsewhere. Additionally, the city has implemented a comprehensive free nutrition lunch policy for all elementary and junior high school students, with Mayor Lu Shiow-yen visiting schools to oversee the rollout.

New Taipei City and Taoyuan City have extended their milk subsidy programs to include junior high school students, allowing them to redeem one bottle of milk or soy milk weekly using EasyCard student IDs. New Taipei’s free nutrition lunch program also covers approximately 323,000 students.

Miaoli County has introduced a free nutrition lunch policy where the county government and local townships split the costs, covering students from elementary through high school, as well as teachers and staff. The program aims to provide meals valued at 60 TWD per person, focusing on local ingredients and food safety.