To combat agricultural labor shortages, Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) yesterday announced plans to hire an additional 8,000 foreign agricultural workers, raising the quota to 20,000.
The Legislative Yuan’s Economics Committee invited Chen to report on proposed measures to improve the foreign agricultural workforce policy.
Previously, the quota for foreign agricultural workers was set at 12,000, up from the initial 800 set in 2019 for a pilot program, Chen said.
Photo: CNA
Seventy percent of those spots, or 8,508 workers, have already been brought in under the scheme, he said, adding that the full quota is expected to be met by the end of the year.
The Ministry of Agriculture is currently in talks with the Ministry of Labor to increase the quota by another 8,000, hopefully by the year-end, he said.
The new policy would also allow producers of mushrooms and bean sprouts to hire foreign workers, as well as allow small-scale enterprises to hire one foreign worker for every local hire, Chen said.
Currently, only household farms and cooperatives with fewer than 10 employees may hire one foreign worker for every local hire, Chen said.
Producers of sod and bean sprouts would now be able to hire foreign workers, while producers of rice seedlings and mushrooms are to face fewer requirements when hiring foreign labor, he said.
The agriculture ministry is to also run a pilot program allowing workers to move around to help with seasonal job shortages, he added.
The ministry has also implemented programs to bring Filipino, Indonesian and other foreign nationals to Taiwan for agricultural internships.
The plan has already been rolled out in 14 cities and counties, bringing in 1,500 interns in 46 agricultural groups, the ministry said.
The agricultural labor force has decreased in the past decade, from 548,000 in 2015 to 509,000 last year, it said.
The average age of workers has also increased from 52.6 to 53.5, it added.
According to a survey from 2022, 6 percent of farming households in Taiwan experience labor shortages, including 1.1 percent lacking permanent workers and 5.1 percent lacking temporary workers, the ministry said.
The greatest shortage is felt in Taiwan’s central region, followed by southern Taiwan, it added.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS