In a free trade environment, Taiwan's agricultural sector must raise the quality of its products and build self-owned brands in order to compete and capture more of the global market, Premier Mao Chi-kuo said today.
Speaking at an award ceremony for the Top Ten Agricultural Production and Marketing Groups, the premier pointed out that today's winners had been selected through four levels of review of 6,537 candidates from across the nation. After lauding the winners, he encouraged them to continue the work of improving Taiwan's agricultural values.
Every production and marketing group has a common purpose—to raise the value of agricultural products by selecting high-quality varieties, keeping food fresh and developing advanced processing technologies, Mao said. Livestock farmers, for example, are taking the first step to building an Internet of Things by installing electronic devices on cattle and using instruments to track livestock breeding.
Given that the average Taiwanese farmer is 64 years old, Premier Mao encouraged the production and marketing groups to draw young people back to the countryside. Infusing younger workers will sustain the farming industry and spur greater creativity.
As an island economy competing in a free trade world, Taiwan must be both defensive and offensive in its strategies, Mao continued. Taiwan should take advantage of trade liberalization to export more of its agricultural products to other countries. Domestically, the industry must improve on the quality of products and create its own brands so as to distinguish itself from the foreign imports coming into Taiwan. This is our common goal, he added.