The “new agriculture innovation program” adopted by the Executive Yuan on December 8 last year forms the basis of this “plus” initiative added onto the original Five Pillar Industries. The goal is to develop a viable agricultural sector suitable for a modern economy – one with sufficient competitiveness without over-reliance on government subsidies. The program…
Taiwan has a long history of growing a wide variety of mushrooms, and was once a major exporter. BY STEVEN CROOK AND KATY HUI-WEN HUNG We eat too much of what is bad for us, experts say, and not nearly enough fruits and vegetables. But one positive trend is visible in some parts of the…
Taiwan’s southernmost county is famous for its beaches and deserves more attention as the country’s “fruit basket.” Residents of northern Taiwan are undoubtedly most familiar with the island’s southernmost county of Pingtung as a sunny vacationland whose Hengchun Peninsula is home to the sprawling (333 square-kilometer) Kenting National Park. The adjacent beach resort of Kenting…
Once saddled with a huge volume of non-performing loans, the farming credit system has strengthened under the supervision of a state-backed agricultural bank. Taiwan’s agricultural finance system has evolved considerably since the early 2000s when it was burdened with a large volume of non-performing loans (NPLs). The dire state of Taiwan’s rural finances at that…
Almost all of the beancurd and soy milk consumed in Taiwan is made from soybeans imported from the United States. Photos by Rich J Matheson Few comestibles are more Taiwanese than tofu, soy sauce, and soymilk. All three are made from soy, a legume first cultivated in Northeast Asia at least 2,700 years ago. Directly…
The institute, the only Taiwan-based international organization, contributes to the global fight against malnutrition and poverty. A short distance from the Southern Taiwan Science Park and its cluster of optoelectronics and green-energy companies, an institute quietly engages in vital work in an entirely different sphere. What is now known as “AVRDC – The World Vegetable…
CULLING POULTRY — The Formosa Plastics Group provided manpower and disinfecting equipment, as at this goose farm in Chiayi, to help in the effort to respond to the avian flu outbreak. An outbreak of bird flu that began afflicting poultry in Taiwan as early as last fall has escalated into a full-blown epidemic, with the…
