Where is the next stop for agriculture in Taiwan, China? An exclusive interview with newly appointed Council of Agriculture Minister Tsao Chi-hung

The new Council of Agriculture minister is confirmed as former Pingtung County magistrate Tsao Chi-hung, 68 years old, who after stepping down as magistrate last year said publicly that he would devote himself to promoting green energy, water resources and safe agriculture. Before the cabinet list was officially announced, he gave an interview to NewsMarket, admitting that returning to public office was a difficult decision, but that he hoped to use his previous Pingtung experience to do something for Taiwan's agriculture. "I hope to leave a bit of good assets for Taiwan's land."

Tsao Chi-hung can be called the first person in Taiwan to combine farmland with green energy. In 2009, while serving as Pingtung County magistrate, he used farmland in the Typhoon Morakot disaster area and in land-subsidence areas to build solar panels for "storing water and generating electricity," earning him the name of the environmental magistrate. After taking office, he plans to continue the "green economy," putting an end to the current chaos of individual companies and farmers generating electricity on farmland, with the government uniformly planning the locations and installing photovoltaic panels on farmland unsuitable for cultivation.

As for the sensitive issues of the TPP and the opening of the market to lean-meat American pork, Tsao Chi-hung said that negotiations are not for the Council of Agriculture to decide, but the important thing is to strengthen the domestic sector, guide pig farmers to raise the survival rate, promote carcass evaluation and be removed from the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic area so as to export, "once the sector is strengthened, we won't be afraid of imported foreign pork," and at present the domestic use of leanness enhancers will not be opened up.

Second cabinet wave finalized, Tsao Chi-hung to head the Council of Agriculture