A four-month ban on mutton transaction in Yunlin and Changhua is lifted this month after the widespread epidemic of sheep pox has finally been controlled. The disease broke out in April and nearly 23,000 sheep had been slaughtered to prevent it from expanding.

Yunlin and Changhua's meat product markets stopped selling mutton for more than four months due to an ovine smallpox outbreak in April.

With the disease now under control, the mutton ban was lifted earlier this week.

Many sheep farmers and consumers made a trip to the meat product market to see the latest developments.

According to both farmers and consumers, the mutton black market wreaked havoc on meat prices and placed a heavy burden on breeders.

One Yunlin market worker further said that sheep were auctioned off for around 180 NT per kilogram on the first day, and that everyone hopes that the auction transaction platform can help stabilize market prices and provide a quality guarantee for consumers.