The death last week of a fifth elderly farmer from heat stroke this summer has focused attention on the hard lives of many rural dwellers. But it has also highlighted another looming issue -- the future of Taiwan's food supply.
As the nation continues along its seemingly never-ending path of development-at-all-costs, few people give a second thought to who will be growing rice or picking bananas once the current crop of increasingly elderly farmers call it a day.
Around 50 percent of the nation's approximately 530,000 farmers are now 55 or older, while 9 percent are over 65.
Looking after these people is key, because while Taiwan relies on millions of LCD TVs, notebook computers and microchips to keep its economy ticking over, the people who design and manufacture these products also need the carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals provided by the grain, fruit and vegetables grown by farmers.
How the nation will cope in 20 or even 10 years after many of these elderly farmers have passed away is an extremely important question, because the "strawberry generation" of well-educated, privileged youngsters are unwilling to toil among the muck and flies to eke out a living.
With profits from farming becoming smaller -- not helped by entry into the WTO and competition from heavily subsidized US and EU farm products -- it is hardly surprising that young people would rather work in cities.
But the nation cannot afford further inaction on this issue because food security is a tremendously important issue. It is not possible to rely solely on increasing food imports. In the event of a cross-strait conflict a blockade of the nation's ports is one of the tactics China could feasibly employ.
Domestic solutions must therefore be found and found fast.
The government must act to replace the current crop of farmers with a younger generation and prevent a lot of vital agricultural knowledge and skills from going to the grave.
Large-scale employment of foreign agricultural workers is not a practical alternative as most farms are family concerns and are not big enough to warrant it.
While exporting produce to more lucrative markets like Japan and Australia -- where farmers can make more money for their produce -- is one avenue being exploited, this alone will not entice young people back to the land.
The Council of Agriculture has begun programs to attract young people to farming and it obviously understands that recreational farms, value-added farm produce and improved mechanization are desperately needed to make farming more profitable and easier for elderly farmers.
But the council and the government need to redouble their efforts and put even more resources into these programs if they are to have any success in reducing the average age of farmers and making a life in the fields an attractive proposition.
They have to be more creative because raising the monthly stipend for elderly farmers by NT$1,000 before every election will not solve anything.
One would think that the Democratic Progressive Party government -- which relies on such hard-working people for crucial votes -- would not need to be reminded of the need to solve these problems and ensure that farmers can enjoy some semblance of a comfortable retirement.
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