Hsinchu Science Park Gets 60,000 Tons of Water a Day While Champion Rice Is Forced to Fallow; Chiayi County Agriculture Director: The Ministry of Economic Affairs Should Consider Water Justice

General News Jan 1, 1970By Emily Carter 0 views

Taoyuan and Hsinchu have performed brilliantly in recent years in the Council of Agriculture's Classic Good Rice and National Famous Rice competitions, sweeping 4 variety championships this year, half of the contest's seats. But Taiwan faces its worst drought in ten years, and under the Water Resources Agency's consideration of "sharing hardship together," Taoyuan and Hsinchu are being forced to suspend irrigation and fallow 27,000 hectares for next year's first rice crop; ironically, in early December the Ministry of Economic Affairs had just carried out the Hsinchu Science Park's "north water sent south" plan, transferring 60,000 tons of water a day from Feitsui Reservoir to Taoyuan's Shihmen Reservoir, then piping it to Hsinchu's Baoshan No. 2 Reservoir to supply the Hsinchu Science Park, once again reflecting Taiwan's problem of favoring industry over agriculture.

The science park seized land and houses; now even water is unavailable

**Chiayi Agriculture Director: The Ministry of Economic Affairs Should Think About Water Justice**

But for some farmers, monetary compensation is not the most important thing; agriculture's long-standing subordination to industry is the main reason for their backlash. In recent years, Tian Shou-hsi's story has played out repeatedly across Taiwan. The Dapu incident and the Erlin Park of the Central Taiwan Science Park Phase 4 are both cases of prime farmland converted into industrial zones or surrounding urban plans. In recent years, Changhua's Xizhou has also seen disputes over the Central Taiwan Science Park Phase 4 grabbing water.

Taoyuan farmer Hsu Tung-chuan, who likewise faces fallowing, sighed that agriculture has always been weak before industry, because the government has always believed agriculture's output value is low. But some things cannot be judged solely by output value. Japan is willing to subsidize farmers to restore terraced fields because that is cultural heritage; Taiwan has no such thinking.
In recent years the Council of Agriculture has actively promoted the small-landlord, large-tenant farmer program and called on young people to return home, but when it comes to the Ministry of Economic Affairs' water transfers it is always unable to stand firm, leaving many farmers deeply disappointed. Chen Yen-ching, head of the Dayuan Township quality rice production and marketing group and a past winner of the Shennong Award, said bluntly: "I tell young farmers not to invest too much; policies keep changing, there is absolutely no guarantee."

This time the Chianan Plain also could not escape fallowing. Lin Liang-mao, director of the Chiayi County Agriculture Department, believes the government should review why every water shortage results in agricultural fallowing. The Ministry of Economic Affairs always looks only at the water itself and never thinks about water's uses and allocation. "Every year they say agriculture accounts for more than 70 percent of total water use, but what matters is priority, ah; that is a question of water justice."

**Series Reading: Decade of Severe Drought, Water Shortage and Fallowing Series Reports**

**Further Reading**

**Fallow Area Exceeds 40,000 Hectares, Second Largest in History, Dealing a Heavy Blow to the Rice Industry; Farmers: No Supporting Measures Is Forcing Everyone to Revolt**

**Making Good Use of Subsurface Flow, Pingtung's Erfeng Canal Has Not Run Dry in Ninety Years, Stably Supplying More Than 80,000 Metric Tons of Water a Day**

Hsinchu Science Park Gets 60,000 Tons of Water a Day While Champion Rice Is Forced to Fallow; Chiayi County Agriculture Director: The Ministry of Economic Affairs Should Consider Water Justice

The science park seized land and houses; now even water is unavailable

Chiayi Agriculture Director: The Ministry of Economic Affairs Should Think About Water Justice

Series Reading: Decade of Severe Drought, Water Shortage and Fallowing Series Reports

Further Reading

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