The Council of Agriculture (COA) aims to submit a draft amendment to the Plant Variety and Plant Seed Act (植物品種及種苗法) to the Executive Yuan before the end of June, COA Deputy Minister Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) said yesterday.
The amendment would seek to prevent the outflow of endemic fruits and cultivars, and agricultural technologies to China.
The council announced the amendment in reaction to China’s ban on Taiwanese pineapple imports and the subsequent promotion of a domestically grown pineapple cultivar that was developed in Taiwan.
Beijing on Wednesday unveiled a slew of measures, dubbed the “the 22 Forestry and Agricultural Measures” by Taiwanese media, to attract Taiwanese agriculture professionals to China.
The measures would allow Taiwanese to buy land, obtain a farming-specific credit rating, receive subsidies and join trade organizations in several agricultural sectors, including forestry, and the cultivation of tea, fruits and flowers.
Chen said that the amendment would follow in Japan’s footsteps, the first country in the world to punish the unauthorized export of local flora.
The amendment would be discussed with all groups it would affect before it is sent it to the Executive Yuan for approval, Chen said.
The amendment would, if approved, be forwarded to the legislature.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) said that she hoped the proposal would be discussed in the next legislative session.
The council should draw up a list of protected cultivars and technologies before next month, she said.
On Beijing’s 22 measures, Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) said that the wording “beneficial for Taiwan” was willfully misleading, as they would only benefit China.
Over the past few years, Taiwan has worked toward diversifying its export markets and reducing its reliance on China, Lo said.
China’s ban on Taiwanese pineapples, which had passed even the most rigorous and strict examinations in Japan, is evidence that China is attempting to weaken Taiwan and gain its agricultural technologies and know-how, Lo said.
Noting that China’s agricultural sector is reeling after an armyworm infestation and its hog industry has not yet recovered from an outbreak of African swine fever, Lo said that Taiwanese should wary of anything China describes as beneficial to Taiwan.
A free exhibition aimed at teaching the public about air-raid shelters and basic emergency personal protection skills today opened on the concourse level of the Taipei MRT's Ximen Station. The event, organized by the National Police Agency, aims to raise awareness about disaster preparedness ahead of nationwide air raid drills scheduled from July 15 to 18, which are part of broader urban resilience exercises. The exhibition outlines the recommended actions people should take depending on whether they are indoors, commuting or outdoors when air-raid sirens sound. It also teaches people how to equip air-raid shelters and pack emergency "go bags," with displays
A first shipment of five tons of Taiwan tilapia was sent from Tainan to Singapore on Wednesday, following an order valued at NT$600,000 (US$20,500) placed with a company in the city. The products, including frozen whole fish and pre- cooked fish belly, were dispatched from Jiangjun Fishing Harbor, where a new aquatic processing and logistics center is under construction. At the launch, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) called the move a “breakthrough,” marking Taiwan’s expansion into the Singaporean tilapia market. Taiwan’s tilapia exports have traditionally focused on the United States, Canada, and the Middle East, Huang said, adding that the new foothold in
An electric bus charging facility at Taipei Metro’s Beitou Depot officially opened yesterday with 22 charging bays to serve the city’s 886 electric buses. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) told a ceremony to mark the opening of the facility that the city aims to fully electrify its bus fleet by 2030. The number of electric buses has grown from about 650 last year to 886 this year and is expected to surpass 1,000 by the end of the year, Chiang said. Setting up the charging station in a metro depot optimizes land and energy use, as the metro uses power mainly during the
An exhibition demonstrating the rejuvenation of the indigenous Kuskus Village in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹) opened at the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s conservation station in Taipei on Thursday. Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said they have been promoting the use and development of forestry resources to local indigenous residents for eight years to drive regional revitalization. While modern conservation approaches mostly stem from western scientific research, eco-friendly knowledge and skills passed down through generations of indigenous people, who have lived in Taiwan for centuries, could be more suitable for the environment, he said. The agency’s Pingtung branch Director-General Yang Jui-fen (楊瑞芬)