Agricultural economists demand public debate on the free economic pilot zone regulations; Council of Agriculture asks for a rational view

The Legislative Yuan's extraordinary session will review the draft special regulations for free economic pilot zones. Yesterday, several agricultural economists and farmers voiced unanimous opposition to opening up the import of 830 Chinese agricultural products under relaxed controls, and advocated deleting the five articles related to "agricultural value-added" in the free economic pilot zones. The Council of Agriculture responded, "Please take a rational view of the pilot zone's agricultural value-added policy."

Opening relaxed controls on Chinese agricultural products coming to Taiwan; farmers: Did anyone ask us first?

Article 42 of the free economic pilot zone regulations is the battlefield article over which the public and the Council of Agriculture have fiercely clashed on the agricultural value-added plan. This article opens the 830 previously banned Chinese agricultural products to entry into the free economic pilot zones, triggering strong public doubts. Hong Xiang, a farmer from Wanbao, Miaoli, said: "The government only thinks about opening the door to Chinese agricultural products to hit domestic farmers. The officials should step down." Wu Jialing, a rice farmer from Yilan, questioned the free economic pilot zones' opening of Chinese agricultural products to Taiwan and labeling them MIT for export: "This is simply asking Taiwan's farmers to endorse Chinese agricultural products. Did the government ask Taiwan's farmers first?"

Opening Chinese agricultural products to entry into the free economic pilot zones: if they flow into Taiwan proper, low-priced Chinese agricultural products will replace Taiwan's agricultural products and deal a blow to Taiwan's agriculture. In addition, if Chinese agricultural products are used as processing raw materials inside the free economic pilot zones, and the processed food is labeled MIT for export, poor quality will also affect the credibility of Taiwan's brands. Third, if all Chinese agricultural products are processed in the free economic pilot zones and then exported, because manufacturers are not currently required to use domestic agricultural raw materials, Taiwan's agricultural raw materials will also be replaced by Chinese agricultural products.