Yilan Farmhouse Public Hearing Sees Fiery Clashes, Chen Jinde Absent, County Government Insists on Launching Next Year
"In the future, where in Yilan will there still be lush green farmland?"
"That's all fake!"
"Do you really want your children to only be able to see rural scenery in textbooks?"
"I'm fine with it! Support the Yilan County Government! Support Chen Chin-te! Thank goodness for Chen Chin-te! Thank goodness for the acting county magistrate!"
Ever since the Yilan County Government introduced the "Yilan County Regulations Governing the Review of Applications for Construction of Farmhouses and Agricultural Facilities on Agricultural Land (Draft)," the divide among local farmers in Yilan has grown sharper by the day; and the remarks above are merely a snapshot of the dialogue at today's Yilan County Government public hearing.
Today (the 23rd), the Yilan County Government held a policy public hearing on the "Yilan County Regulations Governing the Review of Applications for Construction of Farmhouses and Agricultural Facilities on Agricultural Land (Draft)." Lee Hsin-tai, acting director-general of the Yilan County Government's Department of Agriculture, stated repeatedly that under the draft plan, "farmhouse land (≦10%) and agricultural facility land (≦30%) must be concentrated along roads, and may not exceed 40% of the average depth of the overall farmland," "farmhouses and agricultural facilities must be submitted all at once, and then reviewed and approved in accordance with the law," and other measures, and emphasized that "there will not be any problem of 'farmhouses getting bigger.'" These remarks, however, drew a barrage of criticism from members of the public in attendance.
Further reading:
Council of Agriculture slaps down "Chin-te version farmhouse" again; Chen Chi-chung: without agriculture there is no farmhouse, local governments have no right to set separate formats
Yilan battles the central government again! Farmhouse plus facilities can occupy 40% of farmland area; Chen Chi-chung: lumping them together does not conform to regulations
Yilan County Government's latest release of the "Yilan County Regulations Governing the Review of Applications for Construction of Farmhouses and Agricultural Facilities on Agricultural Land (Draft)"
Yilan farmhouses need not be along roads? Lin Tsung-hsien states his position; discussing only minor details risks turning into land speculation. Don't look at farmland as nothing but price
Exclusive interview with Chen Chin-te 01: Slapping the Council of Agriculture in the face, farmhouse "along roads and sides" is not law, farmers need not comply
Exclusive interview with Chen Chin-te 02: Farmhouse location strangles rural development; who has the right to make farmers farm and let Taipei people come see pastoral scenery?
Exclusive interview with Chen Chin-te 03: Taipei demolishes 1% of its illegal structures, and I in Yilan will demolish illegal structures to show you
Chen Chin-te fires at the central government over farmhouses; Chen Chi-chung: causing damage to farmland is illegal; Peng Tso-kwei strongly criticizes it as unbelievable
Standing at the crossroads of old and new agriculture, uphold Yilan's values or convert farmland into cash? | How to implement farmland for agricultural use?
[Chart analysis] Chen Chin-te wants to forcefully amend the law; will Yilan return to the era of runaway farmland?
Chen Teng-chin / Those Yilan values we fought for, those that left us scarred, a small step that is hard to hold firm!
Chen Pi-yuan / Farmland reform cannot turn back; calling on Magistrate Chen, please let Yilan walk its own path of glory!
Yilan Fields Central | Chang Liang-i photography feature