To reverse the decline of the agricultural workers population and the aging of the farming work force while protecting farmer welfare and interests, the government has in recent years actively promoted five major welfare measures, namely: farmer health insurance, farmer occupational accident insurance, agricultural insurance, welfare allowance for elderly farmers and a farmer pension savings system. The measures will create a comprehensive socioeconomic safety net for agricultural workers, protect their health, help them diversify business risks, and take care of them in retirement. The objectives are to allow farmers to concentrate more on the work at hand as well as attract more young people to the agricultural profession to inject fresh blood into Taiwan's agricultural sector.
Five major welfare measures
■ Farmer health insurance: The scope of insureds has been expanded to cover every person actually engaged in farming, including agricultural production workers who use other people's farmland by oral agreement, beekeepers not of a fixed farming type, and farmers who use public lands adjoining rivers to engage in agricultural work. In addition, to improve the welfare of farmers, the government raised the monthly insured amounts for farmer health insurance and farmer occupational accident insurance, and accordingly doubled a range of payments including maternity benefits, funeral grants and injury and sickness benefits.
■ Farmer occupational accident insurance: The first phase, which began in November 2018 as a trial run, focused on occupational injuries and implemented voluntary enrollment. The second phase, beginning September 2021, brought occupational diseases under the scope of farmer occupational accident insurance. Starting from December 2023, farmers who newly register under the farmer health insurance program are also required to enroll in the farmer occupational accident insurance program. In September 2024, injury and sickness benefit payments were raised, and in November 2025, medical care allowances provided under the farmer occupational accident insurance program were increased.
■ Agricultural insurance: To help farmers diversify business risks, better protect operations and ensure steady incomes, the government launched a trial agricultural insurance program that offered insurance products and policies of many kinds. The program was expanded to cover natural disasters, crop diseases and market risks, while continuing premium subsidies to ease farmers' financial burden. The Taiwan Agricultural Insurance Fund was also established to help farmers mitigate risks.
■ Welfare allowance for elderly farmers: The proposed amendments to the Provisional Act Governing the Welfare Allowance for Elderly Farmers will boost the monthly allowance from NT$8,110 (approximately US$258) to NT$10,000 (approx. US$318), introduce a mechanism for periodic adjustments and update the means-testing criteria.
■ Farmer pension savings system: Under the pension savings system for farmers, individual retirement savings accounts are funded through monthly contributions shared equally by the farmer and the government. At age 65, the farmer may collect monthly retirement payouts based on the principal and income accumulated in his or her account. To further encourage participation in the pension system for farmers, the Executive Yuan proposed amendments to the Farmer Pension Act, which the Legislative Yuan passed on January 27, 2026. These changes increased the government's contribution rate and reduced the economic burden on farmers.