The Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture held a promotional event Nov. 22 in Taipei City to mark the 10th anniversary of southern Taiwan’s Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park, highlighting the site’s success in diversifying the nation’s exports and outlining plans for its expansion.

Founded to promote the development of high value-added, low-pollution and technology-intensive agricultural products, the 233-hectare COA-administrated park in Pingtung County is home to 104 companies performing cutting-edge research in areas ranging from aquaculture to environmental control systems. PABP, which features onsite customs services as well as plant and animal health inspection and quarantine facilities, has attracted NT$9.4 billion (US$294.3 million) in investment since its establishment.

Representatives from nine resident firms attended the celebratory event to showcase their products and discuss the benefits of tenancy at the park. Among these were Fongyu Corp., Richfield Biotech Co. and TCI Co., which exhibited their fresh bass and bass-based processed foods, high-quality pig feed and dietary supplements, respectively.

According to a PABP official, the park’s location in Taiwan’s southernmost county has been a key factor in its success. “The site is far from major industrial zones and features large green spaces, which is especially important for firms trying to market health-related products,” he said.

“Conversely, it is quite close to a number of agricultural research institutes, notably National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, facilitating academia-industry collaboration,” he added.

To build on its success, the Executive Yuan has earmarked NT$3.5 billion (US$109.6 million) for the expansion and upgrading of the agricultural biotechnology park, the only one of its kind in Taiwan. Scheduled for completion in three years, the project will add a further 165.4 hectares to the site, providing enough space for more than 60 new enterprises.

The COA said the expansion scheme will further strengthen PABP’s role in promoting the government’s new paradigm for agricultural industry development. This model seeks to improve the sector’s profitability and sustainability through such measures as creating a new safety certification system, fostering the development of smart agricultural technologies, and promoting the nation’s products in overseas markets.

PABP is also expected to play a part in advancing the government’s New Southbound Policy, which aims to deepen links between Taiwan and Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand, by enhancing regional business cooperation on value-added agriculture. (OC-E)

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