Is it reasonable for the three-tier farmers' associations to charge agency fees for marketing? Agriculture and Food Agency: The Farmers' Association of the Republic of China takes the money but does not do the work
Farmers' associations assist farmers with joint marketing and collect agency fees from it, as cost expenditures for packaging, transportation, and guiding farmers. The Council of Agriculture stated that outsiders question the three-tier system of farmers' associations. Aside from the grassroots farmers' associations that substantively guide farmers, what exactly are the roles of the county and city farmers' associations and the Farmers' Association of the Republic of China (the national farmers' association)? The Council of Agriculture will conduct a comprehensive review of the agricultural product marketing system and amend the Agricultural Products Market Transaction Act and other relevant regulations, so that farmer groups at all levels can substantively perform their function of production and marketing adjustment.
Chang Yung-cheng, Director-General of the Farmers' Association of the Republic of China, responded that the agency fees collected by farmers' associations for joint marketing are based on those of the other three major farmer groups. "If the agency fee were relatively high, farmers would not come to the farmers' association to participate in joint marketing." Chen Ming-jen, Director of the Supply and Marketing Department of the Xingang Township Farmers' Association in Chiayi County, stated that the Farmers' Association of the Republic of China stations personnel at the Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation market, responsible for the quality condition of arrivals and reflecting conditions at the production origin, so collecting fees is reasonable.
However, Chen Ming-jen also stated that other farmer groups collect the same service fee but do not fulfill their social responsibility, and do not promote or take care of farmers. "They do not need to spend money on farmers." Whenever there is an imbalance between production and marketing, the farmers' association is expected to handle it. The entire system needs to be reviewed again, and each farmer group and the Council of Agriculture must review along with it.
Chang Yung-cheng: "Willing to cooperate in coordinating production and marketing, but the problems cannot all be thrown to the farmers' association"
Can the Farmers' Association of the Republic of China strengthen monitoring of agricultural product quality and coordinate production origins? Chang Yung-cheng pointed out directly that it has always worked hard on production and marketing coordination, including recently subsidizing grassroots farmers' associations for cold storage and cold chains, to adjust the volume of farmers' arrivals and delay shipments to avoid a market crash. "But to be honest, no one can predict the weather. Who would have known that this year would have favorable weather, leading to bumper harvests of various agricultural products?"
Chang further pointed out that he hopes everyone will jointly solve the problem of production and marketing imbalance, rather than shirking responsibility. The farmers' association is neither a farmer, and cannot control the actual planting quantity, nor a consumer, and cannot decide purchase volume. What the farmers' association can do is limited, and it cannot direct so many people. Moreover, the farmers' association is only one of the four major farmer groups. If the other farmer groups do not change, no matter how much the farmers' association does, it will be useless.
"The farmers' association is willing to cooperate in coordinating production and marketing, but the problems cannot all be thrown to the farmers' association." Chang Yung-cheng stated that solving production and marketing imbalance requires gathering everyone's strength, and the cooperation mechanism should be expanded. The Council of Agriculture has funds and resources it can use, and can horizontally coordinate the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of National Defense, and others, giving it more force than the farmers' association.
Erlun Township Farmers' Association in Yunlin County: Farmers' associations at all levels each have their own division of work
Facing outside questions about the farmers' associations collecting agency fees, and the functions of county and city farmers' associations and the national farmers' association, Wu Yao-yu, Secretary of the Erlun Township Farmers' Association in Yunlin County, explained that farmers' associations at all levels have their own related work contents. The Farmers' Association of the Republic of China stations personnel at the Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation auction market to assist with on-site or administrative work such as sorting goods and counting quantities, and can assist with handling any problems at production-origin farmers' associations. These all require personnel expenses.
County and city farmers' associations are responsible for liaison and estimating the planned monthly incoming volume, and each year also invite experts to hold training sessions for joint marketing units. The township farmers' association's agency fee is spent on farmers, including agricultural machinery subsidies, study sessions, assistance with packaging, transportation, and so on.
Can the Farmers' Association of the Republic of China play a role in coordinating production-origin farmers' associations? Wu Yao-yu stated that if the auction market volume is too large, market personnel will notify them, so that production-origin farmers' associations can adjust production accordingly and bring in less to the fruit and vegetable market. "Of course there are still shortcomings. No plan is completely without shortcomings, but it just needs to be improved."
The government must also be responsible for adjusting production and marketing imbalance. For example, when a typhoon comes and prices soar, the government seems to think prices are too high and need adjustment, without actually understanding how much production-origin farmers have lost. "Originally one fen of land harvested two thousand kilograms; when a typhoon comes, less than one hundred jin can be harvested. No matter how high the price, it is still a loss." He pointed out that the Council of Agriculture should understand the current situation at production origins more, and understand the market comprehensively.
Xingang Township Farmers' Association in Chiayi County: The entire system needs to be reviewed again
Chen Ming-jen, Director of the Supply and Marketing Department of the Xingang Township Farmers' Association in Chiayi County, stated that it is very reasonable for farmers participating in joint marketing to pay fees. Fees differ somewhat among township farmers' associations, but as long as they are not too high, they are reasonable prices. "Farmers delivering to local dealers have to pay 10%, but for participating in joint marketing, Xingang Farmers' Association plus the county farmers' association and the national farmers' association is only 6.5%."
The Farmers' Association of the Republic of China stations personnel at the Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation market, responsible for the quality condition of arrivals; all kinds of matters can be reflected through them, so collecting fees is reasonable.
But at the county and city farmers' association level, "relatively little has been done, and it indeed can be discussed further." Chen pointed out that not every county farmers' association collects agency fees. If fees are to be collected, there should be corresponding contributions, including educating joint marketing personnel or stepping forward when grassroots farmers' associations need assistance.
However, Chen Ming-jen also stated that other farmer groups collect the same service fee but do not fulfill their social responsibility, and have not done promotion or taken care of farmers. "They do not need to spend money on farmers." Whenever there is an imbalance between production and marketing, the farmers' association is expected to handle it. The entire system needs to be reviewed again, and each farmer group and the Council of Agriculture must review along with it.
Farmers: The government's role is even more important in production and marketing imbalance
"It is very reasonable for the farmers' association to collect agency fees! It is originally user-pays." Li Ying-hsi, a member of the Erlun Township Farmers' Association vegetable production and marketing group, pointed out that farmers would want it as low as possible, but in reality the farmers' association still has to meet cost-effectiveness, since it subsidizes farmers with cartons, fertilizer, and so on, and also assists with packing and transportation. Now the agency fee price is reasonable: the farmers' association collects 4%, and the market fee is 3%.
How does he view county and city farmers' associations and the Farmers' Association of the Republic of China collecting agency fees? Li responded that although farmers communicate directly with grassroots farmers' associations, some matters are still reported upward by grassroots farmers' associations and then coordinated by the national farmers' association. Of course farmers' associations should coordinate production origins, but if farmers do not cooperate, there is no way, and Council of Agriculture policy also has to come in, because the government controls resources and policy should be more thorough. Looking only at coordination by farmers' associations cannot solve it.
Chuang Chih-ming, head of the Xingang Township Farmers' Association vegetable production and marketing group in Chiayi County, stated that it is very reasonable for farmers' associations to collect agency fees. Although county farmers' associations and the national farmers' association do not directly guide farmers, there are some communication and personnel costs. As for whether they can coordinate production and marketing imbalance? Chuang pointed out that the government should control market volume, such as how much volume arrives at the market and how auctions should be conducted. "Conventional produce and traceable produce have the same unit price. You ask people to get certification, but there is no special protection, or help finding sales channels." He emphasized that the government's role is more important.
Agriculture and Food Agency: Will amend agricultural product market transaction regulations
Regarding outside opinions, the Agriculture and Food Agency also plans to invite relevant units in August to review relevant laws and regulations, including joint marketing agency fees, the responsibilities that farmer groups should bear in agricultural product production and marketing adjustment, and assessment, reward, and punishment mechanisms, and to amend regulations related to the Agricultural Products Market Transaction Act, so as to conform to the current reality of agricultural product marketing and stabilize the order of agricultural product transactions.