Premier Lin Chuan: Step up promotion of facility agriculture to drive Taiwan's agriculture

When Premier Lin Chuan visited Xiluo Township on the 29th to inspect the reconstruction of disaster-damaged facilities belonging to farmer Huang Chun-hung of Xiluo Township, Yunlin County, he said that if Taiwan is to narrow the urban-rural gap, develop new industries and bring out the local economy, agriculture plays a very important role. The government must improve the agricultural working environment and raise young people's willingness to return home to farm, so that young people see agriculture as an industry with prospects. The Council of Agriculture has set a target of an annual income of more than 1.2 million yuan for professional young farmers, rising to 1.8 million yuan after three years, hoping to attract more young people to take up agriculture, become professional farmers and drive the development of Taiwan's agriculture.

Premier Lin Chuan pointed out that the biggest challenge in farming is the weather. Taiwan's farmland area is relatively small, so developing facility agriculture is very important. Besides preventing pesticide contamination of farmland and allowing further development of organic agriculture, facility agriculture can also reduce damage from natural disasters, balance the fluctuations in vegetable prices caused by natural disasters, and keep farmers' incomes stable, which benefits the public, so promoting facility agriculture is necessary.

Premier Lin Chuan pointed out that the Council of Agriculture is currently promoting a "5-year facility agriculture plan", under which 400 hectares of reinforced greenhouse facilities will be guided each year, reaching 2,000 hectares of newly built agricultural facilities in 5 years. This part can be further reviewed to improve problems such as material shortages or labour shortages, so that the relevant capacity can be expanded and the goal of increasing facilities can be met, thereby raising agricultural value and safeguarding farmers' livelihoods. Besides maintaining the sturdiness of agricultural facilities, the process for agricultural facility licences must also be made fast and convenient, which is the Executive Yuan's policy, and the government has an obligation to implement it.