President Tsai Ing-wen said Sept. 7 that the government is assisting Taiwan’s agricultural sector boost exports, create value-added jobs and implement structural reforms aimed at raising its competiveness in the global marketplace.
Helping farmers manage such challenges as climate change, consumer rights awareness, environmental concerns, food safety, labor shortages and trade liberalization is a top government priority, Tsai said. More funding and resources will be allocated to overcoming these hurdles and promoting the sector’s sustainable development, she added.
Tsai made the remarks while opening the Taiwan agricultural conference in Taipei City. Organized by the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture, the two-day event involved more than 300 experts, farming representatives and officials discussing key issues impacting the sector.
According to Tsai, the New Agriculture program is at the vanguard of government efforts to build a better tomorrow for the nation’s farmers. Launched in 2017, the four-year project includes goals like increasing Taiwan’s food self-sufficiency to 40 percent, lifting upgraded production to NT$43.4 billion (US$1.45 billion) and supporting the establishment of 370,000 new jobs.
Concrete results under the program, Tsai said, encompass insurance coverage for farmers and produce, implementation of an initiative providing direct payments and price guarantees for top-tier rice, and promulgation of the Organic Agriculture Promotion Act in May.
Another example is the inclusion of certified and traceable local produce in the meals of members of Taiwan’s armed forces and 1.86 million students at 3,500 schools nationwide, Tsai said, adding that this has significantly driven up demand for the high-quality items.
Tsai said she expects recommendations from the conference to serve as the basis for fine-tuning government policies so to keep the sector on the fast track toward embracing greater innovation and promoting long-term viability. (SFC-E)
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