Taichung, Kaohsiung to provide free lunches in public schools

Taipei, Jan. 8 (CNA) Students at public elementary and junior high schools in Kaohsiung and Taichung will receive free lunches starting from the 2026-2027 school year, the two cities announced Thursday.

Around 214,000 Taichung students are expected to benefit from the policy, with the budget totaling around NT$2.5 billion (US$79.08 million) to NT$3 billion per year, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) told a news conference.

The city will need to propose additional budget allocations in March to fund the policy, but she said the expense is necessary and urged city councilors to support the plan.

The policy received support from Taichung councilors across party lines.

Councilors from the Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party said that the policy should be fair and comprehensive, with the benefits extended to private schools and senior high schools.

Councilors from the Democratic Progressive Party said they hope the quality of school lunches will not be compromised by their free status and that the city should propose concrete funding sources and implementation plans.

Also on Thursday, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) announced the city's policy in a Facebook post, saying that 180,000 students would benefit, with an additional NT$1.8 billion budget.

Chen said that the city will continue to push for school lunches to use ingredients that hold the Certified Agricultural Standards, Traceable Agricultural Products and Taiwan Organic labels, as well as a traceability QR Code.

Starting from the 2026-2027 school year, the city is self-funding budgets to ensure that schools use domestic and traceable food ingredients, he added.

Among Taiwan's other special municipalities, Taoyuan has been providing free school lunches for elementary and junior high schools since the second semester of the 2022-2023 school year.

Taipei announced free lunches for all elementary and junior high schools on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, New Taipei and Tainan provide school lunch subsidies for disadvantaged students in public schools.