Following Typhoon Nepartak and the tremendous agricultural losses it brought, Typhoon Meranti caused a further NT$700 million (US$22.32 million) worth of damage, affecting the livelihood of farmers.
The government is trying to do something about this and has relaxed compensation eligibility requirements to help farmers resume their operations. However, as extreme weather events occur more frequently and with greater destructive potential, the threat to the agricultural industry is also intensifying. Statistics show that global natural disasters happen 26 percent more frequently compared with 10 years ago, and extreme weather conditions are more than three times more frequent.
Natural disasters are unavoidable, and neither the government nor farmers can rely on compensation alone to address the challenges. They need to be more proactive.
First, the revenue made during bumper seasons should be used to absorb the losses caused by natural disasters. Judging by the frequency of severe typhoons, it is reasonable to assume that a serious disaster will affect Taiwan every five years. Revenue earned in a four-year period with fewer extreme weather events, then, should be used to make up for the lack of revenue in years that the nation is less fortunate.
It is difficult to avoid damage to outdoor farming from natural disasters. The government should advise farmers to move to greenhouse farming to reduce damage from natural disasters. However, greenhouses are expensive and not suitable for all crops. The government should provide assistance in the form of low-interest loans, diversification, technology upgrades and facility enhancements, so that farmers will no longer live in constant fear of natural disasters.
Furthermore, the US, Japan, South Korea, Canada and other nations have for many years used crop insurance to mitigate farmers’ losses and improve natural disaster risk management in the agricultural sector. Although it would require further research, the government should adopt crop insurance. Workable insurance types include catastrophe insurance, projected price insurance, weather index insurance and crop yield insurance, as well as the US’ Stacked Income Protection Plan and the Supplemental Coverage Option, among others.
By factoring in the nation’s financial situation, what farmers can afford, the database of the agricultural industry and talent evaluation, etc, the government can decide which insurance option is affordable and can formulate crop insurance legislation.
In addition, the government should provide training to help farmers understand the catastrophic threats and risks that climate change and other factors have on their livelihood, and help them cultivate abilities to assess those changes to cope with the new norm of frequent extreme weather events.
Lastly, whether the government wants to push for crop insurance, big data, agricultural warning systems, strategic marketing, disease prevention or other measures, a detailed agricultural database is essential. Unfortunately, this is precisely what Taiwan is missing.
If the government really wants to improve Taiwan’s agricultural situation and increase farmers’ revenue, its foremost objective should be to establish a comprehensive agricultural database.
Hopefully, the aforementioned measures can give farmers more protection and increase their ability to survive in the face of calamities, instead of hopelessly feeling sorry for what happens.
Du Yu is chief executive officer of the Chen-Li Task Force for Agricultural Reform.
Translated by Ethan Zhan
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, people have been asking if Taiwan is the next Ukraine. At a G7 meeting of national leaders in January, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that Taiwan “could be the next Ukraine” if Chinese aggression is not checked. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that if Russia is not defeated, then “today, it’s Ukraine, tomorrow it can be Taiwan.” China does not like this rhetoric. Its diplomats ask people to stop saying “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow.” However, the rhetoric and stated ambition of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Taiwan shows strong parallels with