The government must take into account WTO regulations before it adjusts the public grain procurement price, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday.
The price at which the government purchases grain is under scrutiny after opposition lawmakers proposed raising it to guarantee the income of rice farmers.
The public grain procurement price has not been adjusted for 13 years despite inflation, opposition lawmakers said in a written motion, adding that the government should raise the procurement price by NT$5 per kilogram to better protect farmers.
Photo: Lee Wen-de, Taipei Times
“The objective of the public grain procurement system is to increase the profits that farmers can make, which would not necessarily be achieved by increasing the procurement price,” Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Taipei yesterday.
Any agricultural policy must ensure that farmers benefit from it and enable the agricultural industry to progress, Chen said.
Chen also warned that the public grain procurement system could contravene WTO regulations on reducing domestic support in agriculture.
“The WTO regulations impose a cap on domestic support in the agricultural industry. Any excessive financial support from the government could cause Taiwan to breach the regulations. It is a factor we must take into consideration when implementing any changes to the public grain procurement system,” he said.
Discussions over amending the public grain procurement system must consider different aspects, particularly as we are trying to join various international trade organizations, Chen said.
Former minister of agriculture Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) also warned that opposition lawmakers’ proposal would only push down the price of rice and would not increase the income of rice farmers.
Raising rice procurement prices could expand the nation’s rice fields from 23,000 hectares to 30,000 hectares, causing supply to further exceed demand, Chen Chi-chung said.
When 14,000 tonnes of annual rice imports is added, the excess supply of rice could top 500,000 tonnes, he said.
Such a policy could impede the progress that has already been made in diversification of grain production, he added.
For rice farmers to increase their income, Chen Chi-chung suggested that the government amend the rice income insurance system. The basic income for rice farmers who secure certifications for organic products, present production and sales history of their products, and adopt eco-friendly cultivation techniques can be NT$168,000 per hectare.
The income for cultivating rice is about NT$150,000 per hectare, and the insurance plan could make up the difference of NT$18,000, he said, adding that this is the only way to ensure that rice farmers can earn NT$5 more per kilogram.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
RSS