The government is to allocate an additional NT$2 billion (US$66.51 million) to help the agriculture sector cope with disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the total funding to NT$8.8 billion.
Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) on Monday said that NT$4.07 billion of the original NT$6.8 billion in funding had already been allocated in soft loans to agricultural businesses and it was apparent that more would be needed.
Some of the new funding is to be targeted at the horticulture sector.
Workers who pick flowers for vendors and who are not covered by the labor insurance program would be entitled to a monthly stipend of NT$9,520, or 40 percent of the minimum monthly wage of NT$23,800, for three months, Chen said.
The government would also provide NT$100 million to support the overseas marketing of locally grown flowers and subsidize up to 20 percent of producers’ costs, including fertilizer, he said.
It would also subsidize air and ocean freight costs when shipping products abroad, he added.
Part of the assistance program would be non-monetary relief, including for the fishing industry, which has faced a labor shortage after Chinese and Indonesian crew members were unable to travel to Taiwan due to the pandemic, Chen said.
The government is to help expedite fisheries work permit applications for overseas workers, he said.
Eighty-eight fishing boat owners have filed work permit applications for 632 migrant workers to replenish their workforces, he added.
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