President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁)said yesterday the government will earmark a budget of up to NT$300 billion over the next three years to set up a special fund to help farmers affected by farm imports due to Taiwan's entry to the WTO.
Chen made the pledge while attending a local agricultural products trade fair at the Presidential Office plaza.
"The special fund is aimed at helping minimize the adverse impact of Taiwan's WTO accession on domestic agricultural development," Chen said.
Starting this year, Chen said, the government will take special measures to stabilize domestic prices for 20 kinds of locally produced farm goods that are most susceptible to foreign competition, including rice, peanuts and mushrooms.
Chen said that Taiwan's agricultural sector needed a "period of recuperation" and the government's duty was to prevent both over-exploitation of agricultural resources as well as making sure the sector was not sacrificed for developing industry or commerce.
Chen said that the government has to invest in the countryside to upgrade the quality of life of farmers and stop the population drift to the cities.
The president assured local farmers that his administration will protect farmers' and fishermen's rights and satisfy their borrowing needs while carrying out agricultural and financial reforms.
"We'll push the Legislative Yuan to complete legislation of the Cabinet-proposed agro-finance bill during its new session to facilitate agro-financial reforms and sustainable operations of blue-chip rural credit cooperatives," Chen said.
Meanwhile, Chen said, the government will invest up to NT$20 billion in the next few years in developing agricultural biotechnologies, including setting up an agricultural biotechnology industrial park in Pingtung County, a national floral garden in Changhua and an orchid farm in Tainan.
Chen said a national agricultural conference will be held in late March to chart a new development plan to facilitate transformation of the island's agriculture and relevant industries.
The farm trade fair was organized by major farmers' associations around the island with the support of the Council of Agriculture.
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