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MAC offers to help Chinese farmers

Taiwan is willing to extend its experience and expertise in the development of agricultural economy to Chinese farmers to help them shake off poverty, a Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) official said yesterday.

Noting that Taiwan's agricultural achievements are world renowned and that Taiwan has helped Third World countries develop agriculture for decades, MAC Vice Chairman You Ying-lung (游盈隆) said the country is capable and willing to help alleviate the poverty of Chinese farmers, who number roughly 900 million.

You called for China's agricultural officials to contact Taipei for talks on efforts to provide timely and effective assistance to their farmers.

At a regular press meeting, he quoted UN and World Bank figures showing that nearly 200 million Chinese farmers are unemployed without any regular income.

About seven out of 10 people in China live in rural areas, You said, quoting Chinese statistics and the annual average income for a farmer is 2,900 yuan (US$362.50), or about 8 yuan a day.

However, You said, according to a survey by a private group in China, the average daily income is actually less than one-tenth of the official figure.

Chinese authorities have also said that the unemployment rate in the agricultural sector stood at 7 percent as of early this year, meaning about 20 million farmers are out of work, a dubious figure compared with the figure released by the UN and the World Bank of nearly 200 million, You said.

Quoting a recent saying in China: "The farmers are bitter, rural villages are poor and the agriculture sector is endangered," You said.

You reiterated that Taiwan, in its capacity as a member of the international community, is more than willing to help lift China's farmers out of poverty.
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