Premier Sean Chen attended the 50th anniversary celebration of the China Grain Products Research & Development Institute (CGPRDI) today. "The CGPRDI has a long and rich history of research and development, and its products have made Taiwanese people's lives more colorful," he said.
The premier noted he was impressed by CGPRDI founder Mr. Y. S. Miao's devotion to the flour industry, which Chen witnessed while working for the Farmers Bank. As chairman of the Taiwan Flour Mills Association, Miao adopted three strategies to boost the industry, Chen said: bringing businesses together to import flour in bulk at lower prices; organizing association members into alliances to improve their opportunities of getting loans from banks; and promoting industry products and talent cultivation.
Chen said he has observed the development of the industry in Taiwan for a long time, and he is amazed by the innovative Taiwanese bakeries which have used local ingredients such as rice when making pastry products.
The celebration included a "snacks for happiness" area featuring products of CGPRDI research. Chen indicated these products are fruits of the "modernizing traditional industry" program which is part of the Executive Yuan's Economic Power-Up Plan.
In addition to visiting the retrospective exhibition, "snacks for happiness" area and R&D results exhibition, Premier Chen presented the awards for the 2012 innovative rice flour baking competition.
Those who accompanied the premier to the event include Executive Yuan Secretary-General Steven S.K. Chen, Council for Economic Planning and Development Deputy Minister Wu Ming-ji and the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Industrial Development Bureau Director-General Shen Jung-chin.